


Begin Again

by accio_broom



Series: Our Song [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animal Death, Auror Harry Potter, Auror Ron Weasley, Auror Training, Canon Compliant, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures (Harry Potter), Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Harry Potter Epilogue Compliant, House Elves, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-War, Reunions, Reunited and It Feels So Good, SPEW | Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:00:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 95,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26190781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_broom/pseuds/accio_broom
Summary: Hermione has returned from Australia, this time for good - or so she says.  With a personal mission to introduce a new law to make the lives of British house-elves better, a hunt for missing house-elves and a Squib who keeps on evading capture, can she rebuild her relationship with Ron AND keep the Minister of Magic happy?Sequel to All You Had To Do Was Stay.Set in modern times.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: Our Song [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902010
Comments: 72
Kudos: 75





	1. Begin Again

**Author's Note:**

> All characters, places etc. belong to J.K. Rowling (unfortunately) and I do not own any of the rights to these. I am just here using them for my own fun and amusement.

Hermione Granger woke up extremely happy with herself on the last Sunday of July. The early morning sun was already warming her room and she was grateful she decided to leave the windows open before she went to bed last night. She stretched her petite body out with a yawn, laughing at the disgruntled noise her old, ginger, squash-faced cat made at her.

“Good morning to you too Crookshanks…” She sat up and reached down the bed to scratch his sweet spot just under his left ear. Once the cat was seemingly appeased; she swung her legs out of bed and slipped her feet into her slippers before heading downstairs. She turned her coffee machine on and leaned against the counter; her eyes drifting to the small, colourful bouquet sitting in a vase on her kitchen table. She decided one of her first tasks of the day would be to work out how to magically preserve the flowers; but first, breakfast.

She settled on the small rattan sofa on her patio in the overgrown garden and watched two birds fight over a worm on the lawn briefly. As she sipped her coffee, she thought back on the events of not only last night, but the last couple of years too.

A lot had happened since she helped Harry Potter defeat Voldemort just over two years ago. She’d gone back to school to finish her exams, gaining seven NEWTs in the process. While studying, she had also taken on an extra-curricular project to translate the Tales of Beedle the Bard from the Ancient Runes they were originally written into English in the hope that other wizards and witches would be able to enjoy them as much as she did.

After school, Hermione had spent over half a year with her parents in Australia, studying how they did things in the hope of coming home and implementing some improvements. The British Ministry of Magic was often accused of having old, archaic laws and processes and Hermione was determined to drag them into the 21st Century.

During her time in Australia, she had broken things off with her long-time best friend and boyfriend Ron Weasley; feeling that he would be happier without the pressure of a long distant relationship. She had soon realised this was a mistake and had spent the first half of this year travelling back and forth between both countries, both for work and to try and fix her friendship with Ron.

Last night had been the wedding of the year. Although Harry and Ginny had only been officially together since the end of the war, they had decided not to wait and had tied the knot in a fantastic ceremony. Hermione and Ron had taken the opportunity to talk about their feelings for each other and, although they weren’t officially back together, they had agreed to try again.

Hermione let out a happy sigh as she finished her coffee. It had been quite a magical night. She had sat talking to Ron for so long that by the time they had returned to the wedding it was almost over. They had only shared the one chaste kiss, but they had both been happy with that; neither of them had any desire to push things further that night and although they walked back to the marquee hand in hand, they had re-entered the party separately. They were never far away from each other for the rest of the night as they celebrated with their friends and Ron’s family and Hermione had finally apparated home, alone, around 1 in the morning.

They hadn’t really discussed it, but Hermione felt there had been a mutual understanding that they didn’t want anyone else to know that they were trying again. Hermione felt that there would have been immense pressure from Ron’s family and their friends if they were to come out with it straight away and right now, they really didn’t need that. The thought of having such a happy little secret delighted Hermione, but she made a mental note to check with him when she saw him later that he had the same understanding as her.

Hermione was woken up from her daydream as Crookshanks pounced on the two birds and she turned back to her breakfast. She finished her toast then tilted her face up towards the morning sun. She decided to treat herself to a rare lazy morning before she headed back over to the Burrow for the usual Sunday lunch. This one was going to be a bit more special; not only were they celebrating Harry and Ginny’s wedding, but they were throwing them an early birthday party as they’d be on their honeymoon for both of their weddings.

~*~

Ron had turned up at the Burrow at his usual mid-morning time, which mean he had been roped in to tidying up after last night. He didn’t mind; he quite enjoyed a bit of hard labour and it meant getting some time in with his brothers but by the time everything had been packed away, he’d worked up a good sweat.

He followed his dad and brothers back up to the house. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he cast his eyes around the room. There was no sign of the newly wedded couple or Hermione yet and Ron breathed a sigh of relief. He excused himself and headed up to his old bedroom to grab a quick shower.

Just as he was towelling off, he heard the small pop that alerted the household to someone apparating within their wards. From his vantage point in the top-most room, he watched as Hermione appeared at the bottom of the lane that lead up to the Burrow. His heart leaped as he remembered their conversation last night. It had been hard for him to forgive Hermione for breaking his heart, but she had really tried hard to be there for him; especially when he had been suffering from bad nightmares. He had found himself seeking out Hermione for comfort, instead of his girlfriend and soon the old familiar feelings had surfaced.

Hermione looked beautiful, as always. She had left her hair styled in the loose waves she’d had for the wedding, but she was wearing jean shorts and a t-shirt. As he watched her walk, he willed her to look up at his room, but she had already started to talk to someone just out of Ron’s line of sight. He pouted to himself as she disappeared out of view and he cast a quick cleaning charm on the clothes he had been wearing earlier. He dressed quickly before hurrying downstairs.

He got to the kitchen just in time to watch Hermione take her usual seat at the table, followed closely by Harry and Ginny. Despite the summer heat, his mum had still cooked them a full roast dinner and as Molly called everyone else to the table, Ron hurried to nab the seat next to Hermione before anyone else could.

“Hey…” Ron slid into the seat, deliberately brushing his shoulder against hers. He smiled as she turned to look at him.

“Hey yourself..” Hermione met his eyes, her smile widening. “Why is your hair wet?” She started to reach out to brush his fringe off his forehead but Harry and Ginny chose that opportunity to plonk themselves down opposite them and she quickly withdrew her hand.

“No – Dad just put us all to work this morning tidying up the last of the wedding stuff. I’ve only just got out of the shower…”

“I would have come over earlier if I’d known there was still tidying up to do…” Hermione’s smiled returned.

Ron started to respond, but he was interrupted by the delicious feast feat appearing in front of them.

Lunch was its usual rambunctious affair and there wasn’t a quiet moment. At some point in the meal, Hermione had leaned over Ron to get seconds; deliberately pressing her hip tight against his as she did. He had almost choked on a roast potato as he felt her, causing Molly to tell him off for eating too quickly.

Despite his telling off, Ron still finished off his meal with his usual gusto. He waited patiently for everyone else to finish eating before clearing his throat.

“So… uhm… you might have noticed last night, but Lavender and I have broken up…”

He felt Hermione pick up his hand under the table and squeeze it slightly. He steeled himself for his family’s teasing, but before anyone else could pipe up; Molly gave everyone a warning glance and immediately started fussing over Ron. Given how the family, including his mother, had treated Lavender while they were together, he was surprised by Molly’s reaction but he wasn’t going to argue or protest it. He was also buoyed by Hermione’s support.

Hermione let go of Ron’s hand as everyone started to get up to leave the table. She stayed behind with Ginny so they could start cleaning up; a role the two of them had been persistent on taking on to help Molly and Arthur. Feeding the 5,000 was tiresome enough and it always gave the girls chance to catch-up. Hermione was delighted to get the opportunity to quiz the new Mrs. Potter on her wedding night and the pair speculated on where Harry might be taking them on their honeymoon tomorrow.

By the time they finally joined the family, all the more comfortable spots have been taken so Hermione folded herself into a small spot on the floor opposite Ron. She tried her hardest to focus and join in on the conversation, but she often found her eyes drifting towards Ron. She smiled as she watched him with his family and was relieved that nobody gave him hassle about breaking things off with Lavender.

It was early evening before the gathering started to break up. Hermione picked herself up off the floor, shaking off the pins and needles in her foot and started to say goodbye to everyone. She spotted Ron doing the same and she briefly wondered if it looked suspicious that they were trying to leave at the same time.

“I’ll walk down the lane with you Hermione…” Ron finished with his goodbyes and escorted Hermione out of the house, being careful not to touch her. He wasn’t sure if he was being paranoid, but he was positive they had a full set of Weasley/Potter eyes on them as they made their way to the apparition point.

Hermione eventually broke the silence, being careful to keep her voice low as she walked. “Do you have five minutes to pop over to mine?”

Ron grinned to himself, trying his hardest to resist sliding an arm around her waist. “Yeah… I’ll see you there…”

“See you there…” Hermione risked a brief glance up at him, her smile wide before apparating to Primrose Cottage. She didn’t have to wait long for Ron to appear in her living room.

“Hey again…” Hermione took a step towards him.

“Hey yourself…” Ron chuckled softly as he copied how she had greeted him earlier.

Hermione copied his laugh, reaching out to pick up his hand. She linked their fingers together loosely. “I just wanted to check you were okay after telling your family about you and Lavender…”

Ron ran his spare hand through his hair but nodded. “Yeah, it had to be done. I thought it was best to get everything out in the open…”

“Well almost everything… I know we didn’t discuss it last night, but I think we should probably keep us quiet for now. Until we decide what “us” is?”

He tightened his grip on her hand, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand. “I think so… are you okay with everything else we discussed last night? About taking it slow?”

“I’m more than okay… I’m really happy about it. I’m so lucky to be getting a second chance…”

“Good!” Ron lifted their hands and kissed the back of hers. “I better get home; I’m pretty sure everyone watched us leave the house just now and I wouldn’t put it past mum or Ginny to floo me to see if I actually went home…” He reluctantly let go of her hand. “I’ll see you in work this week though?”

“I hope so…” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before watching Ron apparate. She let out a happy sigh. It was tough seeing Ron leave when they had been practically living together when she wasn’t in school. She only hoped they could sort out what they were quick enough so she could have him back in her life permanently.


	2. The Ministry Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After hitting a brick wall with the creation of her house-elf register, Hermione bumps into an unlikely person in the Great Ministry Library.

During the following week, as July melted into August; Hermione found her workload ramping up. She was attempting to create a register of all known house-elves and their lineage so that the Ministry could keep track on how they were being treated and help the Aurors to step in when things weren't going so well. According to the Ministry's "official" estimations, there were 225 house-elves spread across the country, in addition to the 100 or so living at Hogwarts, but so far Hermione had only managed to record 200. Her plan was to eventually interview all the elves on the list for her research, but she'd hit a wall on where to find the missing 25.

By the Thursday after Harry and Ginny's wedding, she felt like she was going around in circles and she was struggling to concentrate. She had caught herself more than once staring at the badly plastered wall of her cubicle in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She gathered her notes with a sigh and made her way down to the Ministry library. She had spotted it during her induction tour of the Ministry and it had greatly excited her, but she had struggled to find time to get down there and explore the depths of its racks and aisles. It apparently held a copy of every magical book ever written, including those even more evil and awful than the ones contained in the Restricted Section at Hogwarts.

Hermione strolled through the chamber, looking to find a quiet spot among the racks of books. She stopped briefly at an aisle titled "Failed Magical Initiatives" and made a mental note to come back and check these when she had time. Wizards and Witches were free to experiment with their magic, once they had come of age, and often came up with new magical devices or spells which could be submitted to the Ministry to become patented and "official". Very few of these came to fruition; these experiments could sometimes have the potential to cause harm to muggles or were so instable, they could have disastrous consequences to those who used it but Hermione was curious to see if there was anything worth investigating and improving on but right now, she needed to focus on her register.

She walked past the section dedicated to defensive magic and froze in her tracks. Sat at the table at the bottom of the aisle was a familiar ginger haired wizard. Hermione grinned and changed her direction, wandering slowly towards him.

"Well this is something I thought I'd never see… Ronald Weasley in a library, seemingly of his own free will…"

Ron dropped his quill as he lifted his head, grinning as he spotted her standing in front of him. "Yeah, you've caught me!" He laughed, gesturing for her to take one of the empty seats.

Hermione slid into the seat happily. "No seriously, what are you doing down here?"

He slid one of the mock exams he had been working through towards her. "In three weeks we have our mid-point assessments. If we fail, we get kicked off the programme so I thought I'd better get a head start on my revision…"

Hermione looked visibly impressed. "Oh you have done some growing up, I'm impressed! Is it weird that I find that quite sexy?!"

Ron let out a loud laugh, covering his mouth as he received a chorus of shushes. "For anyone else, it would be really weird but not for you. I'm actually down here quite a bit, there's so much going on in the Auror Training Department, I struggle to concentrate. I'm surprised I haven't seen you down here before now…"

"I am working on a register of all house-elves, but I've lost a few…"

"You've lost a few house-elves?!" Ron looked confused.

"Yeah… In our department, there's a clock that ticks over every time a house-elf is born or passes away and there are currently 325 on the clock. Hogwarts has 100, and I've managed to trace and speak to another 200 which leaves me 25. I need the register so I can make sure the law changes are adhered to…"

"So there are just 25 house-elves just roaming the country, living their best free lives?!"

"Well I just can't figure out where else they may be!"

"Do you know what you need?" Ron sat back in his seat; arms folded across his body.

"What's that?" Hermione watched him; eyebrows raised.

"You need a house-elf!"

"Yes, I need 25 of them…" She frowned but had an amused smile on her face.

"No, not one of the missing ones – obviously!" Ron laughed, rocking his chair onto it's back legs. "You need one to help you. You're all about gaining equality and you want to make their lives better so you should ask to hire one to work on your project with you – as an equal!"

Hermione's mouth fell open, although no words came out of it to begin with. She digested what he was saying, turning it over and over in her head for a moment before a wide grin appeared on her face.

"Ron Weasley, you are a genius!" She leaned over the table and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Ron blushed bright red. "I'm okay…"

"Seriously! You're brilliant! Who else would understand the house-elves better than a house-elf? They could have some insights that I would never be able to grasp because I'm not one of them!" She laughed and pulled a piece of empty parchment from her pile of notebooks and notes before starting to scribble on it furiously. "I'll have to put together a proposal so I can get funding to pay them and then I think I'll write to Professor McGonagall and Hagrid to see if they can spare one from Hogwarts…"

Ron watched her with a smile. She was so passionate about house-elves and improving their rights and it was great to get an opportunity to watch her at work. When she got something on her hook, she gave it her all to achieve it. He found it inspiring and he turned back to his studies, working in a comfortable silence with her.

Eventually, Hermione finished setting out her proposal and she passed it to Ron to look over. She watched him intently as he read, chewing her bottom lip. It was important to her that he got a chance to have an opinion on the proposal, especially because he was the one to suggest it.

Ron looked up from the parchment. "I only have a few suggestions…" He passed it back to her before leaning over it to show her where he thought she could make some changes. Hermione was very aware of how close he was to her at that moment. She could see each of his blonde tipped eyelashes and she forced herself to pay more attention to what he was saying than him. She didn't want him to think she was being dismissive of his opinion.

Ron's revision ended up neglected as the duo worked through the proposal and it wasn't until they noticed that the library had gone quiet around them that they looked up from the parchment.

"I think it's late…" Hermione rubbed at her eyes. "But the proposal is ready to be submitted…"

Ron checked his watch. "It's gone 6! I'm going to be in so much trouble tomorrow; I was supposed to have duelling practice at 4…" He sat back in his chair and stretched.

"Oh no, I don't want you to get into trouble…." Hermione looked concerned.

"It'll be fine, I'm still top of the class and I think I can justify going missing considering I was doing something useful!" Ron looked a bit smug. "If you're going up to Hogwarts, I was thinking maybe I could tag along? I know I'm not a part of your project, but it would be nice to see the castle again and get a few hours with you too…"

"That sounds like a good idea…" Hermione smiled and started collecting her things.

"Great! Let me know when and I'll free up some time!"

"Thank you so much for today Ron, I really mean it. I'd hit a brick wall and I really didn't know where to go with my project. I was close to giving up before I'd even started. You've really helped me find a way forward…"

"S'nothing…" Ron shuffled his feet but smiled. "Felt good to be helping you for a change…"

Hermione watched him for a moment with a smile. "If you can get the time off to escort me to Hogwarts, maybe I can take you out to dinner at the Three Broomsticks to say thank you?"

Ron's grin grew wider. "I am absolutely not going to turn down a free meal…"

"Great!" She leaned in to kiss his cheek again. "I'll send you an owl with the details."

The pair walked back to the elevators together, parting ways once they got to their respective floors.


	3. The Interrogation of Ronald Weasley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Auror Mid-Term Assessments looming, Ron starts to feel frustrated when he fails to grasp healing charms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you're all enjoying this so far. I'm enjoying writing it. You're getting this chapter a few hours earlier as I really need to write an essay tomorrow and I know this will just distract me! Enjoy x

The afternoon spent in the Ministry library seemed to help Hermione and Ron bridge the gap between just being friends and being friends who are starting to date. They both seemed to start making extra effort to keep in contact with each other most days. If they hadn’t had time to meet for coffee during work or send each other interdepartmental memos, they’d try to floo each other quickly at the end of the day.

Harry and Ginny eventually arrived back home after their fortnight honeymooning in the South of France. They had stayed in a magical beachside community and had been incommunicado for the entire two weeks, which was fine by Ron – he really didn’t want to know what his best friend was getting up to on his honeymoon with his little sister.

The day before Harry and Ginny arrived home; George, Ron and a very reluctant Percy had filled the newly married couple’s small house with one of Weasley Wizard Wheeze’s new products; “Can’t Pop, Won’t Pop” balloons. These were large, iridescent balloons that were indestructible and there was only one specific charm to get rid of them. Unfortunately, George had failed to leave them the instructions and it had taken an angry floo from Molly before the trio had apparated back to the house to finally tell Harry and Ginny how to clear their house.

After a while, Harry had eventually forgiven them and had agreed to spend time revising with Ron. They’d begrudgingly asked Hermione to draw them up a revision schedule, although they’d been disappointed when she had left them with barely any time to sleep or socialise. Still, they tried their best to stick to it – after all these years, they knew she was still the expert on studying and exams.  
With only one more working day and a weekend before their exams started, Harry and Ron found themselves still in the depths of the Auror office; even though the rest of their fellow trainees had already gone home.

Ron let his head fall to the desk with a heavy sigh. “I give up! Healing charms just won’t stick in my head! It’s okay though, right? I can still be a top Auror without them as long as we do our best not to get injured on a mission…”

Harry dropped his quill and rubbed the scar on his forehead. “I’ll just ask to transfer to a new partner, what’s almost two years of studying together anyway? I’ve done so well to survive with everything that’s already been thrown at me; I don’t really want to die because you can’t remember the wand movement to go with episkey!”

Ron scowled at his friend. “Fine… I’m done protecting your scrawny backside anyway…”

Harry laughed. “We could ask Hermione? She’s great at healing charms and potions. She spent hours learning them before the hunt…”

“We’ve asked enough of Hermione the past two weeks and she has her own work to get on with. Anyway, Ginny, Luna and Hannah have dragged her out – you know how much those three love drinking on a Thursday and it’s gone 7pm. We’re the only two idiots still stuck in work…”

Harry raised his eyebrows slightly at his best mate. “How do you know where Hermione is tonight?”

Ron shrugged. “We talk most days, but I’m pretty sure I just heard Ginny whining at her on Sunday that she never goes out with them…”

“Hmmm…” Harry watched his best friend closely. Ron wasn’t one for memorising the ins and outs of Hermione’s social diary, even when they had been dating. Harry was already intrigued at how closer the two of them had seemed at Sunday lunch at the Burrow but when he had tried quizzing Ginny, she had just told him they were probably working on their friendship and to keep his nose out of their business. “So you talk most days, huh?”

“Yeah…” Ron’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you?”

Harry shook his head. “Not really. We don’t need to. I thought we’d gotten to that level of friendship where we didn’t need to speak every day…” He continued to watch his friend closely.

Ron started to feel irate at Harry’s questions. “Well I’ve been helping her with her project and anyway, I don’t see what business it is of yours…” He started to shove his notes back into his bag. He knew he was overreacting, but he was already so stressed out with the amount of time he’d spent studying over the last few weeks. Being interrogated by Harry was the last thing he needed.

Harry threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, sorry… I was just showing interest…”

Ron sighed as he slung the last of his books into his bag. “Sorry mate, I think all the revision is getting to me…” He offered Harry an apologetic smile.

“Good idea!” Harry jumped up and gathered his things quickly. “I might go meet the girls at the Leaky – I’m starving! Do you want to join us?”

Ron contemplated it for a moment, but he could feel the start of a headache coming on.

“Nah, I’m just gonna grab a beer at home and get an early night. Thanks though…”

“See you tomorrow mate…”

Ron left Harry to finish packing up his things. As he walked to the elevator and rode it to the atrium he tried to think back through the list of charms that he should have already committed to memory by now. All it did was make him feel more worked up that they just weren’t sticking. He crumpled the list in his hand angrily as he walked to the Ministry fireplaces and took the floo home.

He dumped his bag in its usual spot next to the front door, chucking the balled-up list of healing charms on to the coffee table before wandering through to the kitchen to make a quick dinner. As he cooked, his thoughts drifted back to Harry’s interrogation; why was he so keen to find out about what was going on anyway?! Even if he and Hermione hadn’t agreed to keep things only between them, nothing had really happened anyway aside from a handful of chaste kisses, mostly on the cheek. Sure, they’d been talking every day but it was mostly about work or revision. He didn’t want people to think he was just letting her back in easily. It was a lot harder than that – he needed to know Hermione wouldn’t just up and leave the next time a job in another country took her fancy; not at least without discussing it with him first. It was going to be a long time before he could completely let her in – although he had to admit they were already taking some good first steps towards it.

Sometimes, he thought the way his family and friends meddled in his life was really infuriating and it just cemented the fact he and Hermione should definitely keep things between them for now so they could work things out without their interference. He pulled his food out of the microwave angrily and cursed as he burnt the tip of his fingers. He urged himself to take a deep breath as he carried his dinner through to the front room; he was supposed to be trying to calm down not get himself more worked up after all.

Ron barely had chance to sit down on the sofa before the familiar sound of the floo filled his ears. He lifted his head from his food with a soft sigh and frowned as he was greeted by Hermione’s face. He knew it wasn’t her fault, but the sight of her in his fireplace when she was supposed to be out with her friends added to his mounting annoyance. Especially with that concerned look on her face.

“I thought you were out tonight?” Ron turned back to his dinner.

“Hello to you too. I am out, I’m just using one of the fireplaces upstairs at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry just showed up and said you’d turned down an invitation for a beer and I thought that’s not like you so I said to him I’d see if I could persuade you to change your mind!”

Ron lifted his head again, a frown now on his face. “So you left your friends straight away after hearing I was being unsociable? Did you tell them you were coming to floo me?”

“Of course I did. It’s no secret we’re friends…”

“Great! Why?”

“What do you mean why?”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I wanted to check you were okay, I thought that’s what friends did?” Hermione’s frown matched Ron’s. She was trying her hardest, but she really couldn’t work out what she had done wrong.

“Stop acting like you’re my girlfriend; you’re not!” Ron shoved his dinner onto the coffee table, in too much of a bad mood now to carry on eating. “Go back to your friends – I have three days to learn a whole load of healing charms or I’ll lose my job…”

Ron immediately knew he had done something wrong when he saw a hurt look flash across her face. But he was in no mood to do anything about it.

“Right okay. Good night then Ron…” Hermione’s face disappeared from his fireplace quickly.

“Fucks sake…” Ron threw his head back against the back of the sofa. He’d been getting really good at controlling his temper recently but sometimes the littlest things got to him and it was usually those closest to him who took the brunt of it. He usually just went for a run or hit the gym at the Auror training centre to vent his frustrations.

He got up to throw the rest of his dinner in the bin; this would definitely take some fixing.

~*~  
Ron woke up early the next morning, still feeling guilty about how he’d treated Hermione the night before. He decided to run to the Ministry to shake off the last of his bad mood. Running created a great headspace for Ron; he used the time to process his thoughts and sometimes came up with his best solutions to whatever problem was in front of him.

On his way to the Ministry he stopped in his favourite muggle bakery to pick up breakfast and coffee, placing a charm around them so they wouldn’t spill as he finished his run. Once he got to the Ministry, he grabbed a quick shower before taking the elevator to Level 4. As soon as he stepped off, he started to look for Hermione’s desk in the mess of office space that constituted the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He eventually located it in one of the furthest corners of the office and he took the empty seat at her desk, smiling at the collection of photos on her desk. He picked up one at random, smiling as it was the same one he kept on his desk. He stood in the frame with Harry and Hermione, all three of them waving. It had been taken at Harry’s 17th Birthday party. He had another copy of the photo in his bedroom; it was his favourite of the three of them. He was still staring at the photo when Hermione appeared at the edge of her desk.

“Ron? What are you doing up here?”

Ron stood up, holding out one of the brown paper bags and a cup of coffee sheepishly. “Brought you breakfast…”

“Thanks…” Hermione eye him suspiciously as she sat down in the seat he just vacated, taking the bag from him. “Why?”

The tips of Ron’s ears turned bright pink as he watched her. “You know why. I was a git last night. You were only concerned. I was in a bad mood but it wasn’t your fault and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you…”

Hermione sighed slightly and gestured for him to sit in the spare seat next to her desk. “It’s okay. I guess I did overstep the mark a little. You must be so stressed out about these exams…”

“Yeah. I’m really finding them hard but it’s not an excuse. I am sorry…”

“Apology accepted.” She toyed with the edge of the bag thoughtfully. “Look I know I’m not your girlfriend yet, but I am here for you.”

“I know. Things were going okay up until then, huh?”

“It’s still going okay…” Hermione finally peered into the brown paper bag. “Bringing me pastries helps!” She took a bite happily and sat in comfortable silence until she’d finished chewing. “So if you’d let me talk to you last night, I would have told you that Harry said you were struggling with healing charms and I have a way of helping. This is everything I learnt before the hunt and how I chunked up the charms and potions so I could remember them all…” She pulled a piece of parchment out of her handbag and slid it towards him.

Ron looked it over with a grin. “This is brilliant Hermione, thank you so much!”

“You’re very welcome!”

“So I know we’ve already got plans to go to Hogsmeade together to speak to McGonagall next week, but I thought maybe we could make the day a bit of a date for us?”

Instead of immediately answering yes like she wanted to, Hermione took her time to think Ron’s offer over. “So you want our first date to include Professor McGonagall and you want me to pay?!” She gave him a teasing smile.

“Yeah or we can split the bill and agree that the date only starts after your meeting with McGonagall.”

“That sounds really good…” She gave him a more genuine smile. “It would be great to finally go on a date with you!”

“That settles it then!” Ron balled up his brown paper bag before getting up. “I better get to work. Thank you again for these…” He waved the piece of parchment around.

“You’re welcome, again!” Hermione stood up too and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I know I’ll see you anyway Sunday but good luck next week. You know where I am if you need anything but I’ll try and  
give you some space for study too.”

“Okay… thanks Mione…” He returned the kiss on her cheek before leaving her to go to work, taking one last glance at her desk with a smile before he left the department.


	4. The First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron & Hermione visit Hogwarts and meet Betsy the house-elf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your lovely kudos and comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter - I love a bit of fluff! <3

Hermione paced impatiently across the landing outside the Floo Network Authority. She had received approval from her superior, Mr Ridgeway, to hire a house-elf to work in the department almost straight away, but it had taken a few weeks to arrange a meeting with Professor McGonagall at Hogwarts. Even though the school year was yet to start, the Headmistress was a busy witch and very hard to pin down.

While she had waited for the response, Hermione had busied herself by finally finishing her translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard; even utilising her weekends to get it done. She wanted no other distractions once her new colleague was in place and thought it was worth taking advantage of the fact that Ron and Harry were both busy revising for their exams. Hermione had completed her final check of the translation the other night and was satisfied enough to make two copies to take with her to Hogwarts - one for McGonagall and the other for Professor Babbling to proofread for her.

Hermione had woken that morning feeling equal amounts excited and nervous. It had been over a week since she had agreed with Ron to make today's day trip a date and she hadn't seen him since. She wasn't too bothered by the lack of contact though; they had agreed to take things slowly anyway and they'd always felt the most comfortable when they weren't living out of each other's pockets.

She had dressed carefully that morning, taking an unusual amount of time to pick an outfit that was smart enough to impress her potential new colleague but also suitable enough to wear to a first date. She had finally settled of a smart pair of jeans and a nice blouse, pairing it with her usual basic jewellery and a comfortable pair of loafers.

Hermione was about to take another glance at her watch, but she quickly dropped her arm as Ron came skidding around the corner, pulling on an old quidditch jumper as he moved. He came to a stop in front of Hermione, giving her a sheepish smile.

"I'm so sorry 'Mione, my exam started late and it's literally only just finished..."

Hermione narrowed her eyes teasingly. "I'll forgive you this time, but you can't use all these exam-slash-revision excuses to pacify me for being late for forever!" She laughed and opened the door to the department. "You can make it up to me by buying the first Butterbeer..."

Hermione and Ron headed into the Floo Department and were immediately ushered to their connection. They were greeted warmly by the Headmistress as they pulled themselves out of her fireplace. Professor McGonagall directed them into seats once they'd finished dusting themselves down. Immediately, she started to serve them both a cup of tea from a set she transfigured out of thin air. Hermione noticed a group of house-elves sat in small chairs at the side of the desk and gave them a warm smile as she waited for the Headmistress to take her seat.

"It's lovely to see you both again. Mr. Weasley, I heard from Head Auror Robards that you're doing very well at training..."

Ron blushed bright pink. Despite all his smugness and boasting about being top of the class, it was very unusual for him to get praise from the Headmistress or his boss. He often couldn't believe he was doing as well as he was, so the praise made it feel more real. He managed to mumble thanks to McGonagall as he stared at his cup of tea.

"And Miss Granger - the Minister sent me a copy of the research you did in Australia. It inspired me to start making some changes at the school." Professor McGonagall nodded towards the five elves sat by the desk. Each was wearing a black uniform with a badge on it. The badges had symbols and colours on them indicating the area in which they worked. "Hagrid has been working with Argus Filch to remodel a couple of unused classrooms into living quarters. The school also pays the elves a wage, although this isn't always monetary. Some elves prefer to be paid in clothing or trinkets..."

Ron tried hard to not let out a fond laugh as Hermione started to get teary. Instead, he reached out for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Equal rights for house elves was something she had been passionate about since their fourth year of school and so by association, it was something he cared a lot about too; despite the protests he’d made when he was 14 years old. It was great that all her hard work was finally coming to fruition.

Hermione felt overwhelmed. Proper living conditions and a fair wage were two of the proposals Hermione had included in her research and it was such a fantastic opportunity to see them being put into practice already. Excited, she launched into her well-rehearsed speech about what she was trying to achieve with her register and how she would ensure whichever elf she “hired” would receive the same treatment they are currently getting at Hogwarts. They would be given the option to either sleep up at the castle or would be given somewhere safe to stay at the Ministry. They would have set working hours but could also have the flexibility to work longer or shorter days depending on what work needed doing. Basically, she was hoping to prove that her proposals could work and that it would be advantageous for both humans and elves.

Professor McGonagall looked impressed throughout Hermione’s bid, only taking her eyes from Hermione to make notes. She waited patiently for her to finish her speech before speaking with a smile.  
“I think what you are proposing is commendable and hiring an elf to work in the department will definitely enhance your research and help you to achieve your goal…”

“Well, I have Ron to thank for that – he was the one who came up with the idea…”

Ron blushed again as the Professor raised her eyebrows slightly. “It’s good to see you finally applying that brain of yours, Mr. Weasley. A house-elf in the department, especially one that is enthusiastic about how they’re being treated at Hogwarts will be pivotal in helping you get the other more reluctant elves on board.”

Hermione grinned. “Well eventually, I’d hope for the department to be staffed with house-elves, centaurs, goblins and fairies. But I guess one step at a time…”

Professor McGonagall laughed. “So taking in everything you’ve said, I think Betsy would be best suited…”

Hermione was distracted as the house-elf sat in the middle chair squeaked and almost fell off the edge of the chair she was perched on. She looked quite young, but also very enthusiastic.

McGonagall continued. “Betsy was born at Hogwarts five years ago. She was very close with Dobby before he left to rescue the three of you and a lot of her thoughts and beliefs align with his!”

Betsy finally took the opportunity to speak up. She slid from her seat and gave Hermione and Ron a small curtsey. “Mister Dobby was a great inspiration to Betsy. He spoke highly of Mister Potter, Mister Weasley and Miss Granger and it would be a pleasure to help Miss Granger achieve her goals…”

Hermione grinned as she shook the small house-elf’s hand. She was wearing a badge with a book on it. “It’s lovely to meet you Betsy. Do you currently work in the library?”

Betsy nodded. “With Madam Pince, yes…”

“The library was my favourite place when I was in school. I think you and I are going to get along very well…”

They talked for a while longer, agreeing on a date for Betsy to start work at the Ministry. When Ron and Hermione left the Headmistresses office, Hermione was so giddy with excitement that she’d almost forgotten to leave her translation project with the professor.

After a quick visit to Hagrid to see the new living quarters for the elves, Hermione and Ron started to head down to the Entrance Hall.

“I can’t believe how well that went; Betsy is perfect!” Hermione stopped as the staircase they were stood on began to move. “Thank you Ron for suggesting it, I’ve not been this excited about work for a long time…”

“Probably since you started SPEW…” Ron gave her a cheeky grin.

“It’s not SPEW, it’s the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare Ronald Weasley and you are still it’s treasurer!”

“Ah… I may have lost my badge…” He threw her a fake guilty look, moving off the stairs once it had settled in its new position.

Hermione shook her head but couldn’t stop the smile creeping across her face. “Oh I’m so disappointed in you. I thought you might have kept it seeing how being part of the movement meant so much to you!”

Ron couldn’t help but laugh. “You have a very blinkered view of my involvement in your movement…”

They crossed the Entrance Hall, pausing to peer into the Great Hall. They were both grateful that the school was empty. Ron rested his hand on Hermione’s shoulder as they stood there.

“Do you miss being here?”

Hermione tilted her head back to look at him. “Sometimes. I miss being teenagers and the adventures we always seemed to have. And of course I miss school – you know how much I love learning!” She laughed softly. “But it was really weird being back here after the war without you and Harry and everyone else and I don’t miss that feeling…” She placed her hand on top of his, giving it a squeeze. “It feels like a whole lifetime ago now…”

“Yeah… but that’s not a bad thing…” Ron gave her a small push towards the entrance. As they started to move, he kept hold of her hand and held onto it tightly.

They emerged into the late summer sun and walked the short distance up the drive, their hands swinging between them. As they entered Hogsmeade, they reluctantly let go of each other, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves. They weaved their way through the crowds, trying to keep as close to each other as possible as they made a beeline for the Three Broomsticks. They parted ways as the entered the pub, Ron heading straight to the bar while Hermione sought out their favourite table.

He soon returned with two Butterbeers and slid into the seat opposite Hermione. He took a long sip of his drink happily.

“So have you heard that George is thinking about buying Zonkos?”

“I had heard him mention it over lunch a couple of times, but I wasn’t sure how serious he was…” Hermione took a sip of her drink before casually draping her spare hand across the table. She knew he wouldn’t be able to take it or hold it, but she wanted to try and get as close to him as she could.

“Yeah… since the war he’s been doing great business. Everyone is looking for more opportunities for a laugh.” Ron slid his hand near to Hermione’s, his fingers as close to hers without touching them. He made eye contact with her and gave her a grin. “George reckons he’s ready to expand and Hogsmeade seems the most logical place. He’d rather buy Zonko’s and work with them to expand their offer rather than buy an empty shop in Hogsmeade and push them out of business…”

“I think that’s a smart move…” Hermione started to browse the menu. After a short argument about who was going to pay for the food, Ron headed to the bar to order their meals, taking the opportunity to catch-up with Madam Rosmerta briefly. Hermione watched him with a fond smile, noticing as Ron blushed slightly as he talked to the landlady. She made a mental note to tease him about that after. He eventually returned to the table with two glasses of wine.

“So… this is our first date…” He took his seat and passed one of the glasses to her.

“Yeah…” Hermione took a sip of her wine and, since she couldn’t hold his hand, she slid her foot to rest against his. She grinned as he pressed his foot back against hers. “It’s our first proper date ever, which is crazy given we were together for over a year last time.”

Ron laughed slightly. He was grateful that the pub was busy, giving them space to talk without any real risk of being overheard. “Maybe if we’d spent more time doing stuff like this, you wouldn’t have felt compelled to stay in Australia…”

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. “You know that wasn’t the reason I decided to stay in Australia. Believe me, if I were unhappy with my life at home you would have heard about it. When have I been one to shy away from nagging you?!” She gave him a cheeky grin, keen to keep things light-hearted.

“Yeah I guess…” Ron grumbled slightly but pressed his foot harder against hers so she knew he wasn’t being serious. “You know, in a weird way I’m kind of glad things happened the way it did. I mean, I could have done without the heartbreak but this already feels better; like we have a good chance of coming out of this stronger than we were before.” He stared intently at his glass of wine. He still often struggled to speak about his emotions and feelings, but he knew he needed to be honest with Hermione about everything if he wanted them to succeed.

“I feel that too. We don’t have the post-war pressure hanging over us and now that Ginny is a famous Chaser, people are even forgetting who we are. We have a chance to take a breath and work things out as Ron and Hermione, two normal people – as normal as magical people are anyway.”

“Well, until the next evil Wizard tries to kill Harry I guess…”

“Nah, he’s Ginny’s responsibility now. It’s nothing to do with us…” Hermione laughed.

Ron laughed too, enjoying the comfortable way they were able to talk about serious things without it becoming an issue. It was a good sign that they had both done some growing up while they were apart.

They ate dinner together, their feet remaining firmly entwined under the table. Sharing a private thing in such a public place felt exciting to them both. They discussed everything they hadn’t a chance to catch-up on over the last week or so. Ron even gave her an animated retelling of when he, George and Bill filled Ginny and Harry’s house with the “Can’t Pop, Won’t Pop” balloons.

Hermione shook her head disapprovingly, but she had a smile on her face. “I’m surprised Ginny didn’t hex you…”

“It would have been worth it! They turned up after their beautiful holiday in the sun, it was pissing down with rain and we filled the house up so well, they couldn’t even get into the house!” Ron laughed and pushed back his empty plate. “Are you going to order dessert?”

Hermione watched him fondly. Despite eating being one of his favourite hobbies, it seemed he never gained an ounce of weight. She didn’t know where he put it.  
“No, but I don’t mind buying you dessert if you want some…”

Ron looked like he was considering it. “Actually, I’m okay…” He patted his tummy with both hands. “My last theory exam is tomorrow and then it’s a week of physicals…” He pulled a face. “If I get fat before then, I won’t be able to defeat all my pretend enemies and then I’ll be kicked off the course…”

Hermione almost spat out her wine. “Get lost! I’ve never seen you looking so fit!” She blushed bright red as soon as she realised what she’d said and her blush grew as a smirk travelled across Ron’s face.

“You think I’m fit, huh?”

“I mean, you’d have to be a Dementor to not notice it. You have definitely bulked out since you started training and it does look very good on you!” Hermione drained her glass, trying to get her face to cool down a little.

“Think about it often, do you?” Ron knew he was pushing his luck but he was really enjoying how uncomfortable she looked.

“Maybe…” She lifted her eyes from her glass to look at him, grinning wickedly despite the blush. “The thought definitely kept me company during all those lonely nights in the cottage…”

“Good!” Ron finished his own glass of wine, a smug look on his face.

Hermione frowned and balled up her napkin before throwing it at him. “What about me? Don’t you think about me in that way?”

Ron caught the napkin with minimal effort. “All the time actually…” He made eye contact with her and matched her grin. “I’ve thought about you, like that, since I was about 12, 13 in fact…”  
Hermione laughed, blushing even more. “Okay, if this conversation carries on we’ll have to rent a room and I’m not entirely sure I want our first time back together to be in a grimy room at the Three Broomsticks with all the locals being able to hear us! If we’re not getting dessert we should probably think about leaving before your ego stops you from getting through the door…” She started to gather her stuff.

“Come on then…” Ron went to hold an arm out for her as they stood up, but then remembered they were definitely still out in public. With a small sigh he followed her out of the pub, trying to keep as close to her as he could without raising suspicions. They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering aimlessly around the village for a while, trying to delay the moment they’d have to part ways. As the shops started to close, they made their way up to the nearest apparition point.

Ron stopped walking as they neared it, turning his body so he could get a better view of Hermione. “So, this week is probably still going to be a bit busy with exams. I’m not sure I’ll be able to be around much…” He pouted slightly at her.

“That’s okay. This was only our first date anyway and we’re supposed to be taking it slow…”

“Slow is hard when you’ve already been with someone and you’ve known them for almost 10 years… I want more time with you…” Ron whined at her.  
Hermione smiled. “Well why don’t we go somewhere in Muggle London next Friday to celebrate the end of your exams? I think I can last that long and it’ll give us something to look forward to?”

“That sounds brilliant, actually. We may even get a chance to do a bit more than play footsie under the table then…”  
Hermione laughed at his eagerness and leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I would really like that. I have had a lovely day today; despite all your boasting and teasing…”

“You too ‘Mione…” Ron returned the kiss on her cheek before taking a step away from her. “At least we have our thoughts of each other to get us through the week…” He gave her a cheeky smile before apparating reluctantly home.


	5. The Physicals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The physical assessments take their toll on Ron and by the end of the week, he is beaten and sore - just in time for his second date with Hermione.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've just started a fortnight off work and we've just gone into local lockdown. I've already done a shed load of writing and it's only day 3 so I've decided to start posting twice a week to cheer myself up. I hope you enjoy the fluff <3

A week of physical assessments, including a 9-hour mock tracking mission, had really taken its toll on Ron. Mix that with the month or so of hard revision he’d put in for his theory exams the week before and he was exhausted; despite the fact he was at his peak physical fitness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d made it home before it turned dark and by the end of the last exam that Friday, he practically had to drag himself into one of the Ministry fireplaces to get himself home.

As soon as he landed in his living room, he threw himself onto his sofa and closed his eyes. His rest only lasted for a brief minute before he remembered he had plans with Hermione that night. He let out a frustrated groan. He really didn’t want to let her down and he’d been looking forward to this date all week but he was so tired; his body ached all over and he knew he wouldn’t be great company if he was forced out of his flat again that evening.

With a sigh, he carefully rolled off the sofa and wearily threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace before shoving his head into the green flames.

The rushing sound of the floo activating caught Hermione by surprise. She’d not long gotten home from work herself. She’d been busy all week preparing for Betsy’s arrival. She was already a bundle of nerves about her and Ron’s date this evening, so she’d been making herself a cup of tea in the hope of calming herself down a little. She wandered over to the fireplace with her tea in her hands, frowning as she spotted Ron’s face.

“Ron?” She placed the cup on her coffee table before dropping to her knees to look at him better.

“Hey ‘Mione… you okay?”

“I’m okay – how about you?”

“I’m tired – I just finished my last exam…”

“Well you have two hours before we’re due to meet, why don’t you try and get a nap?”

Ron pulled a face slightly. “That’s why I was flooing you… do you mind if I get a rain check?”

“Oh…” Hermione tried not to show how disappointed she felt. She knew the last couple of weeks had been hard on him, but she’d really been looking forward to tonight. “No, of course not. You get some rest and maybe I’ll see you at lunch Sunday?”

Ron frowned as he noticed the disappointment on her face. He let out a heavy sigh. “No, it’s not fine. I was really looking forward to it.” He ran his hand over his face. “Look, I can’t promise that I’ll be great company and my flat is a tip but you’re more than welcome to come over if you want? I’m sure I can find something in the kitchen for dinner…” Ron knew he’d said the right thing straight away as Hermione visibly perked up.

“Why don’t I sort out dinner, but as long as you’re sure?”

“That would be great. I’m looking forward to it. Why don’t you just come over when you’re ready?” He tried to muster the biggest smile he could before pulling his head out of the fireplace and collapsing back on the sofa, determined to get a nap so he’d have more energy later.

~*~

When Hermione apparated to the landing outside Ron’s flat an hour later, she was dressed in a clean pair of sweats and a casual t-shirt. She’d considered dressing in something nicer, but then figured they would only be lounging around the flat and Ron had seen her in a lot worse anyway. On her way over, she had popped to the local supermarket and picked up the ingredients to make lasagne, which was one of Ron’s favourite meals. Tentatively, she knocked on the front door.

The knock only just woke Ron and he got up from the sofa with a groan. He ached in places he didn’t even know he could ache and rubbed his neck softly as he moved to answer the door.

“Hey you…” He gave Hermione a sleepy smile.

Hermione returned his smile as she took in his sleepy appearance. He still had cushion lines imprinted on his face. “Did I wake you up?”

“S’okay…” He rubbed his eyes. “I won’t sleep tonight if I nap too long now. Come on in…” Ron held the door open wider for her.

She headed straight through to the kitchen to unload her shopping bags. “It felt a bit weird apparating to your front door, but I wasn’t sure if you’d changed your wards after….”

“I can’t even remember; I’ll check them at some point. I’m on yours so it’s only fair I add you in, especially now we’re dating…” He leaned against the kitchen counter and watched her move quickly around the kitchen. It felt familiar and good. He smiled as he spotted that she was wearing comfortable clothes instead of dressing up. He was glad she didn’t feel like she had to make a special effort for him. His smile widened as he watched her top ride up slightly as she reached for the higher cupboards and he remembered he was still in his Auror training uniform and probably stunk. “What food did you bring?”

“Lasagne… should take me about an hour, is that okay?”

“Perfect! Do you mind if I grab a quick bath? Everything aches and I probably stink…”

“Of course not…” Hermione turned to him with a smile. “I’ll make a start on the meal and bring you a glass of wine!”

20 minutes had passed before Ron heard another quiet knock, this time on his bathroom door. He’d run his bath using some of the products Lavender had left after their break-up. Bubble baths had always been one of his guilty pleasures and she always had a great stock of really fancy stuff.

He called for Hermione to come in, laughing as she covered her eyes with one hand; two glasses of wine levitating in front of her. She focused her magic to push one glass in his general direction without removing her hand from her eyes.

“Come on ‘Mione, you’ve seen me naked before…” He reached out for his wine and took it from her, trying hard not to laugh again as she insisted on keeping her eyes covered.

“I know but seeing you naked now is hardly going to be conducive to us taking things slow.”

“Why? Are you worried you’re going to want to haul me out of the tub and have your wicked way with me on the bathroom floor?!” He laughed again as she nodded her head. “Well I hate to disappoint you but I have absolutely no energy for sex tonight. Come on Hermione…” He reached out to pull her hand away, groaning at the effort it took.

Hermione let him pull at her, laughing as she finally saw his bath was so full of bubbles she couldn’t see anything anyway. She settled herself on the toilet seat with an amused smile, taking a sip of her wine. “I love that you still enjoy a bubble bath…”

“And you’ll do good to remember I’m a ridiculously good Auror. If you tell Harry or my brothers, I’ll hex you silly!”

She looked like she was contemplating it. “I’d like to see you try!” Hermione grinned. “So the food is in the oven and you have about 45 minutes to soak. Do you want some peace and quiet?”

“No… I want you to tell me about your week…”

Hermione sipped at her wine as she filled him in about her preparations for Betsy’s first week in work. She was the most excited to introduce her to the Ministry library. In return, Ron told Hermione all about his physical exams; although she could see from the bruises and cuts on his body just how tough his week had been,

“I packed some essence of dittany for you to put on before you go to bed tonight. Some of those cuts really do look sore Ron…”

“You’re a life saver ‘Mione. I’m rubbish at keeping a stock of that sort of thing in the flat. I probably should…”

“I can help brew you some potions. You should be using healing potions regularly; you have enough scars; you don’t need anymore…” Hermione’s eyes drifted to his arm where the scars from the brain attack mixed with those from when she splinched him.

“Well you have your fair share too; wars tend to do that to people…” Ron shrugged.

Hermione glanced at her own arm, where the words ‘Mudblood’ could still be seen clearly carved into her forearm.

Ron leaned forward in the bath slightly, although the effort caused him to groan again. “I always wondered why you refused to use dittany on that scar…” He gave Hermione a gentle smile.

Hermione turned her arm up to look at it contemplatively. “It’s important to me. I’ve been called Mudblood all my wizarding life and although I understand that it’s an awful word I’ve decided to reclaim it and prove how brilliant Mudbloods can be…” She dropped her arm and smiled at him.

Ron watched her, amazed by her courage and spirit. Although he’d experienced a lot of negative attitudes towards him and his family due to their beliefs and roles in the Order of the Phoenix, he had never been tortured for what he was. He sat up more in the bath, making sure the bubbles still covered him, although this was more for Hermione’s sake than his own.

“Come over here?” He held out a hand for her, smiling as she came to him immediately. He slid his hand over hers and up her forearm, resting it over her scar as she kneeled next to the bath. “You’re going to do more than prove that. You’re going to change the Wizarding World for the better and then once you’re done, you’ll probably change the Muggle world too…”

Hermione gazed up at him, her heart pounding in the usual erratic way it did whenever she was close to him. “Do you think so?”

“Yes and you shouldn’t ever doubt it…” He tightened his grip on her arm. His eyes moved from her eyes to her lips as he felt that familiar gravitational pull towards her. His heart was pounding a tattoo against his ribcage and he could feel her breath against his skin. He mustered his courage and quickly bridged the gap, pressing his lips softly against hers.

Hermione felt her heart stop and for a moment, she thought she might be dead. She was finally getting what she had craved since she had left him for Australia over a year ago. The short, chaste kisses they had shared over the last month or so had been leading up this moment and it almost felt a little overwhelming to her.

It wasn’t until she felt him tighten his grip on her arm again that she realised she wasn’t dead and she started to reciprocate the kiss. It was perfect; it filled her heart up to the brim and she felt it all the way down to her core, although she felt no rush or pressure to push it deeper or take things any further tonight.

They carried on kissing until they both had to pull away for breath. Hermione rested her forehead against his and when she finally spoke, she was still breathless. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you like that for so long…”

Ron laughed softly and trailed his spare hand carefully over her hair. “Me too. Last week in Hogsmeade was a massive test of my self-control. I really wanted to kiss you and hold your hand…”

Hermione grinned and moved in for another kiss but was distracted by her wand vibrating in her pocket. “I think the lasagne is ready…” She stole a quick kiss from him before carefully getting up. “It’s probably good timing, your bubbles are starting to disappear and if we carried on kissing, you’d definitely expose yourself…” She gave him a smirk before picking up the empty wine glasses and heading through to the kitchen to sort out their dinner.

They ate their food together quickly. Ron was obviously still very tired but he made a gallant effort to keep Hermione entertained. He had protested when Hermione got up from the table to start tidying up, but she had just ordered him to the sofa to rest.

She eventually wandered through to join him with topped up wine glasses. She set them on the coffee table then sat at the opposite end of the sofa. “So I have something to show you…” She lifted her wand and accio’d a magazine out of her bag. She passed it to Ron, watching him closely as he read the cover.

“’I had my heart broken by the Golden Trio!’ Oh Merlin, that’s a headline…” Ron surprised Hermione by laughing as he read, eagerly flipping through to the article. “Lavender warned me this might be coming, though she didn’t say it was Skeeter than interviewed her! She makes it sound like all three of us dumped Lav…”

“You’re still in touch with her?” Hermione tried to sound nonchalant as she asked.

Ron put the magazine down briefly, eyebrows raised. “Is that an issue?”

“No, of course not…” Her cheeks flushed bright red under his gaze.

He read the whole article out loud, pausing to pull it apart and laugh at the accusations. “Witch Weekly got in touch with her a few weeks ago under the pretence of speaking to her about her werewolf attack and why she’d chosen to be a healer. While they were interviewing her, she started to get the feeling they were after something else. She was worried she may have let something slip unintentionally, so she floo’d me to give me a heads up. She was really anxious about doing something to annoy me or give attention to all three of us. Luckily, she was clever enough not to mention you were back on the scene…”

Hermione gave him a small smile, feeling ridiculous that she’d even been concerned about his contact with Lavender. “I’m pretty sure most of Witch Weekly’s readers still think of me as a scarlet woman. Given everything I’m working on at the moment, I’d rather keep my face out of it. I’ll have to remember to thank Lavender when I see her. I guess this means we should keep quiet about us for a little bit longer?”

Ron nodded as he put the magazine on the coffee table and let out a yawn. Instead of settling back in his spot, he shifted so he could lie out on the sofa; his head resting in Hermione’s lap while his legs extended over the arm on the opposite side. He closed his eyes as her hands immediately started to stroke though his hair. “I think so, just for a little bit longer. It’s nice like this though, isn’t it?”

“I guess…” Hermione sighed slightly. “I just wish I could hold your hand when we’re out or let Harry know and not have to hide in front of him or your family…”

Ron opened his eyes to look up at her. “I just can’t put a label on things yet Hermione. This is only our second date after all, however familiar this feels. I don’t think you realise how hard it has been for me to let you all the way in like this…”

Hermione let out another sigh but kept eye contact with him. “No, I know. I do understand. I’m not going anywhere though, I promise.”

“I know…” Ron puckered up his lips but didn’t lift his head. Hermione laughed and dropped her head down, giving him a slow, soft kiss. As she pulled away, he closed his eyes again. “It won’t be long, I promise. After tonight, I think I’m going to struggle to keep my hands off you…” He gave her a warm smile.

She watched him with a small smile, still feeling a little bit sad about their situation but she figured this was her punishment for dumping him in the first place. It was going to be hard to prove she won’t abandon him again, but she had no intention of going anywhere and was determined to prove that to him.


	6. Betsy the House-Elf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betsy the house-elf starts work at the Ministry of Magic and is keen to get started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your continued support and reviews. This is a slightly different chapter to the others, but I felt it was important to do it this way. Betsy is fast becoming one of my favourite creatures! I hope you enjoy it!

When Professor McGonagall first approached Betsy to see if she was interested in taking a job working at the Ministry of Magic, the house-elf had been sceptical. She really enjoyed her job working in the library with Madam Pince; books were her passion and there was nothing more she liked than helping the students find the right book to help them with their schoolwork. Madam Pince had even started allowing Betsy to take a book to read in her spare time. But Betsy had also been pivotal in helping Headmistress McGonagall implement the changes to how the house-elves did their work. She had been close to Dobby when he worked at the school and she had heard a lot about Mister Potter, Mister Weasley and Miss Granger so her curiosity had eventually pushed her to put herself forward as a potential candidate. It was scary; house-elves were only supposed to work to help around the house but doing something different might also be very good for Betsy. Throughout the meeting with Miss Granger and Mister Weasley, Betsy had grown very interested about the work Miss Granger was doing and she knew it would bring about the best changes for house-elves. Betsy had felt very proud when she had been picked to help with the very important work.

It felt to Betsy that the time after meeting Miss Granger had dragged but also rushed by in equal measures. After a few days, Betsy had received her first ever parcel delivered by owl as she got ready for her day at the library and she had unwrapped it excitedly; her elf friends crowded around her. She was astonished to see she had been gifted with a brand-new set of robes that seemed to have been made exactly to her size. They fitted like a glove. On the left-hand side, just over her heart sat a badge like the Hogwarts ones only this badge was the Ministry of Magic emblem. Betsy had been the talk of the castle that day and had apparated back regularly to their sleeping quarters to show the other elves her new clothes.

Her first day at the Ministry finally arrived and Betsy had dressed proudly in her new robes. She completed her outfit with a knitted hat that had been gifted to her by Dobby years ago. On her way out of the office, she had dropped by the library to promise Madam Pince she would help re-sort and clean the bookshelves over the weekend before apparating with a loud crack to the Magical Creature entrance of the Ministry.

Betsy joined the long queue of creatures waiting to be admitted entry to the Ministry. Directly in front of her was a Centaur holding a broken bow and a wizard pulling a reluctant Hippogriff behind him. When it finally got to her turn, she stretched up onto her tip toes to reach the desk. “Uhm… hello. Betsy the House-Elf from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here to see Miss uhm Granger…” Betsy resisted the temptation to wring her new robes nervously as she watched the Welcome Witch.

“Betsy…” The witch dragged a long red fingernail down a parchment full of names. It seemed to Betsy to take a lifetime but the witch finally located her name. Betsy watched as she tapped her wand once on the desk, making a small badge appear.

“Make sure you wear the badge at all times. Follow the corridor to the left to get to the Atrium. Please note, the street level exit is not accessible to any magical creatures.” The Welcome Witch shoved the badge towards her, before turning to the creature next in line.

The Welcome Witch’s less than enthusiastic attitude did nothing to quell Betsy’s pride. She took the badge and hurriedly pinned it to her chest before taking the left corridor towards the Atrium. The house-elf joined the throngs of Wizards, Witches and Creatures working their way to their offices and meetings. She tried her hardest to keep her eyes peeled for Miss Granger, but there were a lot of people and they were all very busy looking. She was starting to fear that Miss Granger had forgotten Betsy was starting today, or that it was all an elaborate prank like the children liked to play on each other back at the school but she finally heard her name being called. Betsy turned her head in the right direction and followed the voice to a small clearing, breathing a sigh of relief when she spotted Miss Granger waiting for her.

“Betsy, hi!” Miss Granger kneeled down to Betsy’s level and held out a hand for her to shake. Betsy had only experienced this sort of treatment by the Professors at the school and she found it a little overwhelming. She stared at the offered hand briefly before she remembered she was supposed to take it. Betsy shook it enthusiastically.

“Betsy is so excited to be finally at work, Miss Granger.”

“Please call me Hermione. I’m very excited to finally have you here!” Miss Granger started to lead the way through the busy Atrium towards a set of elevators. Betsy peered up at the grand looking gates; she had heard of this mode of transportation before, but she had never used one. She hopped excitedly from one foot to another as she waited for a set of ornate metal doors to open. The elf followed Miss Granger into the lift with a crowd of other humans, most of them chatting away busily and paying no attention to the small house-elf at their feet. Betsy watched amazed as Miss Granger pushed a button and the lift started to move. The motion caused Betsy’s stomach to feel a little queasy. Luckily, the ride was short and Miss Granger soon stepped off again.

“Betsy has never ridden in a lift before, that was quite an unusual feeling…” The house-elf gulped up at the witch.

Miss Granger immediately looked aghast, dropping down once more to Betsy’s level. “Oh, I’m so sorry Betsy I didn’t even think about that. You’re probably so used to apparating everywhere. Once I’ve given you the tour, you’ll be able to move around the Ministry in whichever way is most comfortable to you…”

“Thank you Miss Granger, that is most preferable…”

Once Miss Granger had finished checking Betsy was okay, she stood once more and led her into a large office. Betsy noticed she was getting a lot more looks from the people working in the office, although these were mostly kind and curious looks. Miss Granger led her to a quiet corner.

“Here we are. I’m still fairly new to working here as well so I’m afraid we get the worst corner of the office. It’s not much, but it’s quiet here and people don’t tend to both me. I’ve put some fresh quills, parchment and ink on your desk, but do let me know if you need anything else…”

Betsy stared up at her desk, amazed. She had never had anything like this to call her own. She worked hard to fight back a happy wail. She was placed exactly opposite Miss Granger so she could see her as she worked. Although it was the same height, Betsy could tell that the desk had been resized so that it wouldn’t feel too large a space for her to work from. A set of steps had been put next to the chair and Betsy climbed them proudly, settling at her desk before testing the quills to work out which one was her favourite.

The morning passed by in a blur of paperwork and soon Betsy found her stomach was growling. She had been planning to apparate back to the castle to help with the lunch service, but Miss Granger wouldn’t allow it.

“You work for the Ministry now, not Hogwarts Betsy…” Miss Granger had given her a kind smile. “It is completely up to you how you spend your lunch hour, of course, but I was rather hoping you’d join me for lunch with my friends?”

Betsy felt her eyes light up excitedly. She knew exactly who Miss Granger meant when she said her friends. She had already briefly met the Weasley boy, but it was Harry Potter she was most excited to meet. She followed Miss Granger tentatively back to the lifts and out into the Atrium where the two boys were waiting for them. Betsy crept forward to shake their hands, letting out an excitable squeak as she finally met Mr Potter.

“Mr. Potter. Dobby was one of Betsy’s first friends. Betsy is very very proud to meet you!”

Harry looked amused as the house-elf held onto his hand, small tears appearing in her already watery eyes. “Dobby was a great friend of mine. He did great things. I’m sure you’ll be just as great a friend Betsy!”

Lunch was amicable. The witches and wizards spoke to Betsy as if she were equal to them and she enjoyed their conversation. After lunch, Miss Granger gave her a tour around the Ministry. Betsy had been most excited to see the Ministry’s grand library and Miss Granger had been happy for them to spend the rest of their day there. It was in the library, in a quiet corner among the bookshelves, that Miss Granger introduced her to her planned policy changes.

Betsy listened with great interest as Miss Granger talked. It was very obvious to the elf that she was very passionate with the changes she wanted to make. Once she finally stopped speaking, Betsy tried her hardest to digest everything she had been told.

“Miss Granger plans to make a lot of changes. Most of them sound very good for house elves. Betsy wondered if she could read Miss Granger’s new policies and laws and see if there can be any improvements!”

Miss Granger’s eyes lit up. “Absolutely Betsy, that is exactly why I wanted you on board. The only thing is I don’t have a lot of time to turn things around. The changes are being presented to the Wizengamot in a fortnight. Do you think you’ll have enough time?”

Betsy grinned up at the witch. “Betsy can do that!”

“Brilliant! Let’s head back up to our office and I’ll get you a copy!”


	7. The Wizengamot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione goes up in front of the Wizengamot to have her new laws and policies scrutinised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday! Hope yours is going better than mine! I have two essays to write today, so obviously I am posting a new chapter instead! ;-) I hope you enjoy!

Betsy was an enthusiastic and hard worker and by the end of her first week working at the Ministry, she had read all of Hermione’s new House-Elf Welfare Law and new policy changes. The elf had hurried in to work on Friday with a rolled-up piece of parchment clutched in her hands and had nervously presented Hermione with a list of suggested amendments. Most of them were minimal; tweaks to phrases and wordings so that they would be understandable to elves as well as humans.

There was still a rush against the clock for Hermione to get the document updated before submitting it to the Wizengamot for scrutinising, but it was the kind of environment she was used to working in.

She spent the whole weekend and most of the following Monday and Tuesday working, but finally got Betsy’s changes added before the end of their workday on Tuesday. Hermione lifted her wand and cast a proofreading charm, then gave Betsy a smile across their desks.

“I think we’re done!” She gave the elf a tired smile.

Betsy smiled back. “We worked hard Miss Granger. When house-elves work hard up at the castle, we treat ourselves with something small. A snack or a walk in the castle grounds.”

Hermione laughed softly. “We will definitely have a treat. In fact, why don’t we go and hand these to the Wizengamot secretariat and then I will take you for a Butterbeer!”

“Oh, Betsy does love Butterbeer!” Betsy clapped her hands enthusiastically.

“Perfect!” Hermione glanced back as her wand announced the proofreading charm had completed. “Oh…” She frowned at the document. “I forgot to name it…”

“What does Miss Granger mean?”

“Well, when a new law is introduced; it’s sometimes good to name it something. I don’t want it to become just another Magical Decree, because I’m not Dolores Umbridge and the House-Elf Welfare Law just sounds a bit, well, dry…”

Betsy looked like she was thinking about it for a second then smiled. “Betsy has an idea…” The elf looked a bit nervous. “Why don’t we name it after Dobby?”

“Dobby’s Law…” Hermione smiled again. “I think we should check with Harry, but I can’t see that being an issue. Shall we pop down to the Auror Department?”

Betsy scrambled out of her chair and began to follow Hermione to the elevators. A week or so working in the Ministry meant she had gotten used to the sensation of riding in the lifts.  
Hermione and Betsy entered the Auror Department and weaved their way through the vast department to get to Ron and Harry’s desk.

“Hermione, hey!” Harry waved them over. “Have you come to distract us from learning all about the mistakes other Aurors have made throughout their time in the department?!”

Hermione laughed as both her friends were sat with piles of folders around them, looking thoroughly bored. “No, I’m actually here to check something with you Harry. Betsy and I finished the final version of the House-Elf welfare documents and we were about to go and submit them to the Wizengamot when we realised we hadn’t named it. So, Betsy and I were wondering if you’d be okay if we named it after Dobby?”

“Dobby’s Law?” Harry’s eyes lit up instantly. “I think that’s brilliant Hermione, a perfect tribute! He would be so happy to know…”

“Well actually, it was Betsy’s idea…”

Betsy gave Harry a low bow. “Dobby was a great friend to Betsy and taught her all she believes in today.”

“Betsy, you don’t have to do that…” Harry blushed bright red and looked a bit awkward as some of his colleagues laughed at the house-elf’s actions.

“Sorry Mr. Potter, but Betsy is still not used to working as equals to wizards as great as you!” The house-elf blushed too but straightened up immediately.

“That’s settled then…” Hermione tapped the top of her document with her wand, smiling as the title was added to the front page. “Just need to hand it in now…” She let out a shaky breath.

“What you looking so nervous about?” Ron finally spoke up from his pile of folders.

“Well it’s only the culmination of over a year of research and Betsy and I have worked so hard these past few days…”

Ron got up from his desk and placed a hand on Hermione’s shoulder. “The session with the Wizengamot is going to be fine…” He rubbed her shoulder softly, not caring if Harry saw him. “With Kingsley leading it, you’ll be in safe hands…”

“I just wish you two could be in there to support us…” Hermione sighed slightly.

“We tried…” Harry looked up at Hermione. “We’re supposed to spend some time shadowing the Wizengamot to learn about the law-making process, but Robards drew a line under Ron and I watching your sessions. Shame, I would have liked to have seen the inside of the courtrooms again…” He gave his friends a smirk.

“I haven’t seen them at all yet!” Ron scowled. “Cattermole was stuck fixing the rain in Yaxley’s office…”

“Oh yeah…” Hermione giggled. “I’d forgotten about that! I just hope they don’t bring Dementors…” She shivered slightly.

Betsy let out a scared squeak. “There’s Dementors at the Wizengamot?!”

Hermione laughed again. “No, the Dementors were banished after the war. The Ministry no longer use them…”

“It’s going to be fine ‘Mione…” Ron gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before sitting back down at his desk.

“Ginny is on a training week at Holyhead, so I’ll be free for you every evening to let off steam…” Harry gave Hermione a smile.

“And me…” Ron butted in, not wanting to miss out.

“That’ll be good!” Hermione stared back down at the document. “I better go hand it in then…”

“Yes, before you lose it!”

Hermione let out a shaky breath. “We’ll see you later…” She gave both boys a small wave goodbye before heading out of the department, Betsy hot on her heels.

~*~

The scrutiny of new Wizarding Laws takes around a week. The first two days are for members of the Wizengamot to read the new law and make notes. On the third day, the law is debated between them and a set of questions are prepared for the bill writer to answer on day four. The final day is reserved as a wrap-up session just in case questioning takes more than a day.

Frustratingly for Hermione, those who sat on the Wizengamot were bound by a simple charm that stopped them from talking about anything discussed in the courtroom. Nevertheless, Hermione made sure she was waiting outside the doors of Courtroom number 10 to try and work out from the member’s expressions how things were going. On Wednesday, she had even followed Kingsley back up to his office, throwing questions at him which he had no chance in answering, even if he had wanted to. Hermione had gotten herself a warning for that and she’d spent the evening in the Leaky Cauldron ranting to Harry and Ron about it.

By the time Thursday came around, Hermione’s nerves were completely shot. She had woken up early and dressed herself in the smart trouser suit that she’d bought just for the occasion. She was just getting ready to leave when her floo activated. Frowning, she gulped down the last of her coffee before rushing through to the living room.

“Oh good, you’re still here…” Ron dusted himself down. “I just wanted to check if you were okay, and I thought it would be safer for me to do it here than at the Ministry…”

Hermione smiled fondly, despite her nerves. “I’m okay. It’s going to be a tough day but I guess I know the laws inside out. There’s nothing they can throw at me that’ll put me off…”

“That’s my girl…” Ron headed over to her, taking her face in both hands before giving her a kiss. “I tried asking Robards again but he’s taking a firm stance on not letting Harry and I into the courtroom…” He pouted slightly. “But I’ll be waiting outside for you!” He kissed her again.

Hermione let out a small moan as she returned his kiss before carefully pushing him away. “You’ll make me late…” She smiled at him.

“It’ll be worth it… I’ll see you later okay?” Ron left as quickly as he arrived, leaving Hermione to grab the last of her belongings before flooing to the Ministry.

Hermione’s day with the Wizengamot was long and the questioning was hard. There were still a number of pure-blood members of the Wizengamot who owned house-elves and definitely didn’t want the laws changed. There was one member in particular, Madam Radford, who was the head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, who gave Hermione a particularly hard grilling.

Eventually, Kingsley invited Hermione to make her closing remarks. It was very late in the day; and a lot of the members of the Wizengamot were starting to look bored. This didn’t put Hermione off though; she had been preparing for this moment since she was 14. She stood up from the chair in the middle of the courtroom and steeled herself.

“Most house-elves seem to be happy with how they are treated because they do not know better. Madam Radford, you seem to be one of the biggest critics of my proposed new laws. Your house-elf is named Colly, is that right?” Hermione smiled as Claire Radford nodded. “I visited Colly as part of my research, which you know because you had to give permission for me to do so. Colly seemed to be very well looked after, very well fed and she was wearing clean clothes. There were no outward signs of abuse and I’m sure you look after Colly very well. But Colly is a rarity.

“There are still elves across the country that get beaten daily for getting small things wrong, like spilling the milk or neglecting to dust the handrail on the stairs.

“Dobby the house-elf thought he was happy when he was working for the Malfoys. We all remember the Malfoys, don’t we? Dobby tried to warn my friend Harry Potter that his life was in danger if he returned to school the year the Chamber of Secrets was reopened. Because he did this, Dobby used to beat himself regularly.”

Hermione was disturbed briefly as she heard a door in the viewing gallery close. She turned and looked up, smiling slightly as she watched Ron and Harry sneak into the back of the courtroom. She took a deep breath and carried on.

“Harry discovered that Lucius Malfoy was mistreating Dobby, but Dobby was happy living with the family because he thought that treatment was normal. After Harry escaped the Chamber of Secrets, he freed Dobby by tricking Lucius Malfoy into giving Dobby a sock. The change in Dobby’s behaviours and attitudes was almost instant and his loyalty switched to Harry. Dobby even protected Harry moments after his release when Lucius Malfoy threatened him in a school corridor.

“Dobby came to Hogwarts to work as a free elf. He built up a relationship with the students, including me and my friends and also helped to look after other elves, like Winky – Barty Crouch’s house-elf – when Barty cruelly banished Winky from his house-hold. Dobby also started making friends with some of the other elves at Hogwarts, though this took him a lot longer than he’d hoped…” Hermione smiled at Betsy. “Because he was a free elf, Dobby was able to rescue myself, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley from torture and inevitable death at Malfoy Manor. Because he was a free elf; Harry, Ron and I were able to continue our mission to destroy Voldemort’s horcruxes. Without Dobby, I wouldn’t be standing here today. In fact, I’d be willing to put all of my reward money on us living very different lives if Dobby hadn’t been a free elf. Probably under Voldemort’s regime. Not that Harry, Ron or I would be around to see that.”

Hermione paused for a moment for dramatic effect, braving a glance towards where Ron and Harry were sat. Both of them had huge grins on their faces, which strengthened Hermione’s resolve to finish her speech. She turned back to the Wizengamot.

“Dobby died so that wizards and witches could live their lives free. House-elves deserve this basic freedom, including the right to a wage and a safe place to live because we don’t know when we might need another Dobby. I truly believe that my proposed changes will benefit our wellbeing as well as theirs. Dobby is a great example of that. This week, you have had the chance to speak to Winky, Betsy and Kreacher – three other house-elves who have benefitted from their own choice of life. All three elves are thriving because they are doing something that they love, in safe environments. House-elves should be allowed to choose where they work and the conditions they work under. Just the same as you and me.

“So I beg you to accept Dobby’s Law so we can continue to make the Wizarding World such a better, more inclusive place to live and work. It’s already proven to be successful in Australia. It can work well for us too.”

Hermione sat down with a satisfied smile, her heart pounding. She looked up again at Ron and Harry and could have almost cried as she saw their proud faces. She bit her lip and fought back the tears, turning back to Kinglsey and listening carefully as he summed up the discussion over the past four days and the outline of the next steps. Hermione waited patiently to be dismissed and left the courtroom quickly when it was time.

Ron and Harry were waiting for her at the courtroom door and she was pulled into Harry’s arms first when she got to them.

“That was brilliant Hermione! Dobby would be proud of you!” Harry held her close. Hermione watched as Ron lingered behind them, a huge smile on his face. He gave her a wink and Hermione buried her head against Harry’s neck with a smile.

“Thank you so much! Although you two should not have snuck into the courtroom, you could get into so much trouble!” She stepped back and gave them both a stern look.

Ron shrugged then stepped forward hug Hermione briefly. “Worth it.” He tightened his grip around her, giving her a firm squeeze. “Seeing the looks on the Wizengamot’s faces as you so brazenly mentioned Voldemort in their courtrooms was bloody brilliant, as well as hearing your speech live after spending all week listening to you rehearse it!” He reluctantly let go of her.

“Was it okay?” Hermione wrung her hands nervously. “I wasn’t sure that I should be mentioning you Harry…”

Harry grinned. “We have to be able to use this fame for something, right?!”

The trio and Betsy stepped aside as the Wizengamot finally started filing out of the courtroom and Ron took the opportunity to take Hermione’s hand while Harry was distracted.

“How about we debrief at the Leaky Cauldron?” Ron suggested. “Betsy, do you want to join us?”

The elf’s ears pricked up, a huge smile on her face. “Yes please Mister Weasley…”

Harry grinned. “I need to go grab some stuff from my desk, meet you there?” He didn’t wait for an answer, but hurried up the corridor, followed closely by Betsy who also had things to pick up.

Hermione started to follow them, but she felt a tug at her arm as Ron pulled her back towards him. He checked the corridor had emptied out before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “You were just… so fucking amazing in there… I just wanted to tell you that before we joined the others…” He gave her a huge smile.

“Thank you Ron…” Hermione let out a long, shaky breath. “It’s such a relief to finally get it over and done with…” She gave him another kiss with a smile.

Ron returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around her. Eventually, he pulled away. “Come on, let’s go celebrate!”

“Not celebrate, I won’t get the final verdict until at least next week!”

Ron chuckled at her hesitancy as he started to lead her down the corridor. “We’ll find something to celebrate, even if it’s just me getting you back so I can carry on dating you!” He gave her a cheeky grin before pulling her into the lifts with him.


	8. Happy Birthday Hermione Granger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione tries to distract herself from the wait for news about Dobby's Law by throwing herself a birthday dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your patience with all the boring stuff about Dobby's Law etc. Here's a nice fluffy chapter to reward you! :-) x

Having nothing in particular to focus on or work towards was one of the worst things that could happen to Hermione. With Dobby’s Law going through the final stages of the Wizengamot process and her translation project still being proofread by Professor Babbling and Professor McGonagall, she had taken to browsing the aisles of the Ministry Library; sometimes with Betsy but mostly by herself. The wealth of books and knowledge contained in this one department overwhelmed Hermione, but it also gave her a kind of peace knowing that she would never run out of things to learn about the Wizarding World.

It was at the bottom of an aisle of books about Time that Ron found Hermione during his lunch break on the day of her birthday. He smiled to himself as he found her sat on the floor, a pile of books by her side. She couldn’t be more Hermione right now if she tried. Going to the library was Hermione’s answer to everything. He watched as she flicked through the book in her hands in an agitated way before wandering over to her slowly.

“You don’t know how long I’ve fantasised about finding you alone in a library. Although usually you’re in a school uniform…” He smirked as he got to her, catching a glimpse at the title of the book in her hand. “Why in the name of Merlin’s wrinkly balls are you reading about Time-Turners?! Surely you should be the expert on them by now?”

“I’m trying to work out a way to make time go faster so I can finally get the verdict on Dobby’s Law!”

“Well a Time-Turner isn’t going to help with that…” He carefully crouched down in front of her and gently eased the book out of her hand. “For one, they’re only useful for going back in time. Second, we destroyed the whole lot of them, remember?”

Hermione sighed and looked up at Ron with dull eyes. He hated seeing her this way. She’d never been good with down time, especially if she had to spend it alone and a week of sitting around and twiddling her thumbs must be driving her mad.

“I’m so bored Ron!” She sighed again and Ron pouted at the sad look on her face.

“Well that’s why I’m here!” He placed the book at the top of the pile. “It’s your birthday; Harry and I want to buy you cake!”

She gave him a small smile. “You don’t have to do that. You’re both probably so busy and you’re coming over later for dinner anyway…”

Ron rolled his eyes and stood up. She was as bad as him once she got into a mood. Fortunately, he knew the way to get her out of it. “Hermione, you cannot spend the entire of your 21st birthday moping around the library. I won’t allow it. You’re going to let Harry and I buy you lunch and then I’m sending you home. Did you know that it’s an actual law that you’re not allowed to work on your birthday?!”

Hermione laughed despite her mood. “No…”

“It’s true…” He grinned and held out a hand. “But first, I need a kiss…”

She let him pull her to her feet, a grin creeping over her face as Ron slid his arms around her waist and gave her a long kiss. She immediately reacted, sliding both hands into his hair to pull him closer to her, easily melting into the kiss. He started to carefully walk her back until she was pressed up against a rack of books, still kissing her. She moaned against his lips as she felt one of his hands slide from her waist to trace down her side and take hold of her hip.

A sudden noise from behind the shelves interrupted them and Hermione pulled away, resting her forehead against his with a smile. “Can you not come home with me and carry on doing that? I feel that’s the only way to save my birthday…”

Ron let out a low laugh. “Oh I wish I could but I have a whole afternoon learning how to detect the Trace ahead of me!” He pulled her back to him tightly, pressing his hips against hers and grinning at the moan that escaped her lips.

Hermione was breathless and her stomach was full of butterflies. “Lucky you!” She started to move in for another hard kiss but grumbled as Ron stepped away teasingly and took her hand.

“Come on, I’m starving…” He held onto her hand tightly and started to pull her down the aisle. With a flick of her wand, she returned the pile of books to their correct spots on the shelves before following him out of the library. She reluctantly let go of him as they neared the Ministry cafeteria and laughed as she was greeted by a table full of her friends as well as Arthur and Percy.

The hour went by too quickly. Harry had bought her lunch before she could even find some galleons in her robe pockets. The small group had obviously been briefed to not bring up anything about her work but despite this, the conversation flowed easily and to top it off, Arthur had presented one of Molly’s birthday cakes for them to share.

“Molly says you can eat this now and she’ll make another one when you come over for your birthday lunch Sunday! Knowing her, she’ll probably bring one to the game tomorrow too!” Arthur smiled fondly as he put the cake in front of Hermione.

Hermione felt in a better mood when she finally left the Ministry. Instead of heading straight home, she decided to take herself shopping and treat herself to something nice to wear for her party that evening. She wasn’t usually one for retail therapy, but it was her birthday after all.

When she got home, she quickly unpacked her bags and took a quick shower. She took her time doing her hair and makeup before changing into her new green, wrap dress, finding the whole process quite therapeutic. By the time she was finally ready, her thoughts had moved from Dobby’s Law and to her upcoming party. Pleased with her appearance, she headed down to the kitchen; feeding Crookshanks before putting on some music as she started to cook. She was so distracted by the music that she didn’t hear the sound of someone apparating into her living room.

Ron apparated into Hermione’s cottage deliberately early and was greeted by a wall of music. Smiling, he followed the sound of the music to the kitchen. He was slightly surprised to see Hermione dancing around the kitchen barefoot and he leaned against the kitchen doorframe, vaguely aware that this was the second time he had watched her that day.

“Hey you!” He laughed as she turned and jumped a mile.

“Merlin Ron! You scared the life out of me! You’re lucky I didn’t have a knife in my hands!”

Ron laughed and wandered over to her slowly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” He pressed a soft, slow kiss against her lips. “Happy birthday! You’re in a much better mood this evening. What’s happened?”

Hermione smiled as she returned his kiss. “Oh nothing much. I took myself shopping after lunch…”

“Yeah… I can see that! This is new, right?” He ran a finger around the neckline of her dress, grinning as he saw her visibly shudder.

“Yeah, do you like it?”

“I love it!” He gave her another kiss. “So it’s just the dress making you happy then?”

“Oh, well also the guy I’m dating is coming over soon and I’m cooking a nice big meal with my friends. We’re going to drink lots of wine and have a really good night!”

Ron raised his eyebrows with a smile. “You are one lucky witch. Has the guy you’re dating brought you a present?”

“No… but I don’t need one…”

“Oh…” Ron pretended to look upset as he let go of Hermione and pulled a small parcel from his pocket. “Not sure what to do with this then…” He placed the parcel in her hands and tapped it with his wand to make it grow to it’s true size.

Hermione grinned at the wrapped gift. “Presents are always welcome…” She weighed it in both hands then shook it, trying to guess what it was. Carefully, she started to unwrap it.

Ron suddenly found himself feeling quite nervous. It had taken him a while to think of something suitable to buy Hermione. He knew 21st birthdays were big in the muggle world, but he wanted to be careful not to choose something that could be interpreted the wrong way, such as a piece of jewellery. It was still fairly early on in their new relationship.

“It’s not much…” He found his nerves melting away as he watched a huge smile creep over Hermione’s face. “They’re first edition Jane Austen. I found them in an old muggle bookshop. I know how much you love reading muggle books but if they’re not what you like, the owner said I could take them back and swap them for something else…”

“Oh no Ron, this is perfect!” She placed the set of books carefully down on the table before wrapping her arms back around him and giving him a hard kiss. “You really didn’t have to get me anything though. Just having this second chance with you is enough…”

Ron grinned, tightening his grip on her as he returned every kiss eagerly. “Yeah I know… but I’d be a shit boyfriend if I didn’t get you anything and I’m sure you’d just use it as ammo in the future…” He gave her a cheeky grin.

“Boyfriend?” Hermione raised her eyebrows at him without letting go of him. Despite the fact they’d been spending increasing amounts of time together, they’d not put a label on what was going on.

Ron avoided eye contact with her, blushing bright red as he realised his choice of words. “Uhm yeah, I mean… I guess that’s what this is?”

She laughed and placed two fingers under his chin, pushing his face up to look at her. “That sounds perfect!” She kissed him again, feeling completely elated. Everything was going so well; she’d completely forgotten about work. She stayed wrapped up with Ron, kissing him eagerly until they heard her floo activate. Pouting, she pulled away from him.

Ron sighed slightly. “One step at a time, yeah? I promise we’ll tell everyone soon…” He pressed one last kiss against her lips before moving away from her, busying himself by getting drinks for the new arrivals.

Hermione soon found herself distracted from her frustration as more of their friends arrived. Most of them stayed in the kitchen with her, chatting away and helping her to prepare the meal. The others came back and forth, helping themselves to more drinks. Most of them were making the most of having a whole weekend free of work ahead of them, apart from Ginny who had a game the next day.

Hermione’s cooking had improved greatly since their time on the run and Ron was thankful of this as they all settled around the magically enlarged garden table. They’d all decided to make the most of the Indian summer and the unseasonably warm weather it had brought. He had tried his best to engineer how they sat so he could sit next to her, but Harry had distracted him last minute with talk about tomorrow’s Quidditch game and Ron had found himself sat between Ginny and Luna.

He watched with a smile as Hermione was forced into a seat at the head of the table seeing as she was both the hostess and the birthday girl. He was amazed at how easily she had found throwing herself a party as she wasn’t the most sociable out of all of them. That didn’t mean she didn’t like spending time with her friends, far from it, but he knew she usually preferred to stay out of the limelight and let her other friends dictate what they did.

He suddenly found himself quite frustrated with the secrecy of their relationship, even though he knew he was the one pulling the shots on it, pushing her to keep it secret. It was mental. He had this beautiful, brilliant witch as his girlfriend (and Merlin, it felt good to call her that) and he couldn’t even sit next to her at her birthday party or kiss her in front of their friends. As Neville and Hannah started going into detail of their latest attempt at a disastrous date, he felt a twinge of anger. He got up suddenly and mumbled something about needing more wine before striding back into the house.

Hermione watched Ron leave the table with a small frown. Luckily, nobody else had noticed his sudden exit or his change in mood. She pretended to look interested in the conversation taking place between Seamus and Ginny about something Quidditch related as she finished her glass of wine before carefully getting up and heading back into the house after Ron.

She found him in the kitchen trying to work the muggle corkscrew she’d shown him earlier. She raised an eyebrow as she watched him throw it across the room in frustration and point his wand at the bottle, finally freeing it of the cork.

“What’s got your wand in a knot, Ron?” She cocked her head to one side thoughtfully.

“Nothing…” Ron filled his own glass before moving to top hers up. “I’m just annoyed, it’s a bit irrational really…”

“Tell me…”

Ron sighed and sat against the kitchen table before mumbling quietly. “I’m pissed off because I’m not sat next to you…”  
Hermione tried her best to supress a giggle, knowing that it would probably push him over the edge. Instead she tried to rearrange her face into something more sympathetic. “So why didn’t you sit by me?”

“Because I’ve been an idiot trying to hide what’s going on between us because I didn’t want everyone to get involved…”

“I think you’ll find we both agreed to keep it secret and that we were enjoying the secrecy…” Hermione reached up to push his fringe out of his eyes carefully. “Are you saying you want this to change?”

Ron shrugged and put down his wine. Maybe he’d had too much to drink and it was causing him not to think properly. “I don’t want a huge fuss, or to make your birthday about me but maybe we should stop hiding?”

“How about we go back out there with hands held and sit down at the table together? Most of them have drunk far too much wine to even notice now anyway! And we’ll just take things from there?”

Ron nodded and gave Hermione a soft kiss in response.

“Come on then…” She moved away from him, tangling her fingers with his before taking a deep breath and walking back out into the garden, holding on to him tightly. She spotted two vacant seats and settled into one happily. As soon as Ron was sat next to her, she leaned into him, pressing a soft kiss against his lips with a smile.

The table suddenly went quiet as they finally took notice of the couple. The sound of Harry slamming down his cutlery forced them away from their kiss.

“I bloody knew it!” Harry had a huge grin on his face. “Your brothers owe me a lot of money. I’ve been driving myself…”

“…and me…” Ginny interrupted with a smirk.

“…and Ginny absolutely mental trying to work out what was going on with you two. Everyone else kept on telling me nothing was going on, that you two were just friends and there you are, just snogging away! How long has this been going on?!”

Hermione grinned and placed her hand firmly on Ron’s thigh as she turned back to her friends. “Since your wedding, I guess?”

“Yeah, that’s when we decided to give it another try!”

“A month and a half?!” Harry shook his head, though it was obvious he was only joking. “You two call yourselves best friends…”

Ron laughed. “What about you? Betting against us with my brothers?”

“Hey! I was betting for you!” Harry grinned and carried on with his food, stopping to eat every so often to tell Ginny ‘I told you so’.

Hermione laughed as their friends carried on with dinner with only some further light teasing. As she sat there, happily entwined with Ron and basking in the warmth of her friends, she marvelled on how a day (and her mood) could change so drastically. She didn’t even give Dobby’s Law another thought as the party went well into the night. Her 21st Birthday was a lot better than she expected.


	9. The Minister of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione's birthday celebrations continue and she receives an invite to an meeting with the Minister of Magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little later in the day than usual, I've had a bit of a crap one. One of my kittens is poorly and someone tried to scam me for a substantial amount of money. Luckily, this chapter helped cheer me up.
> 
> One of my reviewers on fanfiction.net asked if it was coincidence that all my fics were named after Taylor Swift songs. And the answer is kind of. I use songs that are relevant to my fics, even if it's only a teeny link as I can never think of actual titles. It's just coincidence that most of my fics are named after Tay Tay's amazing music. She's one of my favourite artists. Feels Like Home is a Chantal Kreviazuk song! :-)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Betsy is my favourite character ever! xxx

Hermione woke early the next morning, her head pounding slightly. She had definitely drunk too much wine last night. She groaned and rolled away from the sunlight pouring in from the sole window in her bedroom. She didn't get to fester too long in her hangover though; as she started to wake up properly the memories of last night came flooding back. It was definitely one of her favourite birthdays. Ron was her boyfriend again and everything was starting to feel right. Saying goodnight to him after all their friends had gone home had been hard, but she hadn't wanted to push her luck with him. The memory made her slightly giddy.

She pushed herself up out of bed with a small smile, reaching over to scratch Crookshanks under his chin. She took a hangover potion with her breakfast and finished the last of the tidying up. After grabbing a quick shower, she pulled on her Harpies fan top and a pair of her comfiest jeans before heading back downstairs to wait for Ron. He'd been adamant that he would come and collect her so that they could turn up to the VIP box together; he was really looking forward to seeing the looks on his family's faces.

Ron eventually apparated into the living room, looking a bit out of breath. He was late, as usual, but Hermione was in such a good mood she wasn't even tempted to reprimand him for it. She grinned as he spotted her and made his way over to her, his patented Weasley smile plastered over his face.

"Good morning beautiful…"

Hermione stood up, taking a joking glance at her watch. "It's just about morning still, you're lucky…" She gave him a quick kiss as he got to her before pulling on her jacket.

"Yeah… I drank far too much last night and woke up with a pounding hangover. I had to go to mum's for a hangover potion and ended up having breakfast with her and dad…"

"I'll have to remember to send you home with one after a night of drinking…" Hermione finished getting ready and took his hand, laughing as he pulled her to him.

"Well maybe it won't be long until I'm staying the night?!" Ron wriggled his eyebrows playfully at her before dropping his head to give her a proper kiss. He drew it out, keeping it slow and soft before finally pulling away. "You ready to face my family? Mum is going to fuss over us all day and ask us for all the gory details!"

"Well it's a good job there's no gory details to tell…" Hermione rolled her eyes but gave his hand a firm squeeze.

"I know… She didn't mention anything to me this morning either, so I guess Ginny managed to keep her mouth shut for once. Mum did look a bit suspicious when I said I had somewhere to go before getting to the game…" Ron looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well she'll find out soon enough…" Hermione pulled his wand out of his pocket and handed it to him. "You do the honours?"

Ron laughed at her and took his wand, tightening his grip on her before apparating them carefully to the Quidditch Stadium at Holyhead. Once their feet were back on solid ground, they joined the throngs of fans making their way towards the pitch. Hermione kept a tight grip on Ron's hand as they moved. The first game of the season was always a popular one for fans and since Holyhead were putting a really strong team forward, including Ginny starting as a permanent first team Chaser, there seemed to be more people there than usual.

Harry spotted them heading towards the VIP entrance and waved them over. He glanced down at where they were holding hands tightly and smiled to himself. So it wasn't just the wine last night, they were definitely giving things another go. The thought made him happy. He'd known they were meant to be together for a long time and selfishly, this made his life a whole lot easier.

"Good morning! How are your heads this morning?" Harry gave Hermione a brief hug, forcing her to let go of Ron's hand.

"I had to go to mum's for a hangover potion. Which bright genius opened the Firewhisky?!" Ron rubbed his forehead slightly.

"You I think!" Harry laughed. "Have you forgotten how to look after him, Hermione?!" He let go of her, smiling fondly as she immediately gravitated back to Ron.

Ron shifted a bit awkwardly. "Uhm… we're not at the staying over stage yet…"

"Oh…" Harry looked equal amounts surprised and awkward too. "Sorry, I just thought…"

"We're taking it slowly this time, step by step… see if that works better for us!" Hermione smiled and reached up to kiss Ron's cheek, giving his hand a firm squeeze.

"Yeah, yeah it is…" Ron was momentarily distracted by Hermione, a dopey smile plastered across his face.

Harry gave his two best friends an even bigger smile. "Well I didn't say it last night but I really am pleased for the two of you and not at all upset that you felt you couldn't tell me…" He smirked and started to lead them towards the entrance.

Ron laughed as he followed. "Oh fuck off. If I told you then the rest of the family would have known before I even had a chance to take Hermione on a proper date! You and Ginny tell each other far too much and Ginny immediately blabs to mum!"

The three of them flashed their VIP passes at the Welcome Witch at the door, though there was really no need for any of them to identify who they were. The witch blushed and eagerly ushered them inside and towards their box, even know they'd been there plenty of times before.

Hermione tightened her grip on Ron's hand reassuringly as they entered the box behind Harry. She gave him a meaningful look as the conversation suddenly died out, the room going quiet.

Molly was the first to stand up, her arms thrown wide as she made a beeline for them. "Oh does this mean that you two…"

Before she could even finish her question or give them chance to answer; the Weasley matriarch had flung her arms around her youngest son and his girlfriend, pulling them into a tight hug. Hermione could have sworn she saw a tear as she was pulled from Molly's arms (and Ron's tight hold on her hand) to be passed around the family for celebratory hugs. She tried her best to keep up conversation and answer questions, most of them far too intrusive coming from family members, but she found herself distracted as she watched Ron interact with the family. For an intelligent girl, she found this happening far too often; though she knew what this meant and the thought made her feel all warm inside. She had been stupid to think she could be away from him for any length of time.

The weekend passed quickly in a blur of food, drink and plenty of family time which meant that Hermione didn't once think about the week she was facing in work. Therefore, she was surprised when she finally got to her desk Monday morning to find a ministry owl waiting for her, an official looking note tied to its leg. Hermione felt her stomach lurch suddenly and she wondered briefly if she might be sick.

She took her time taking off her outdoor robes and replacing them with her Ministry ones. She tidied her bag away under her desk, trying her best to ignore Betsy bouncing away in her seat in excitement. But then she ran out of distractions so she sat down and untied the note from the owl's leg with a shaky hand. She unrolled the parchment slowly and took a deep breath before finally reading it.

Betsy tried her best to wait patiently, almost turning purple with effort. Eventually, she couldn't take any more waiting. "Miss Granger, what does it say?"

It came out as a rush of words and Betsy had to take a few breaths before trying again, this time a bit slower. She had never been one to be patient and she had spent the entire weekend up at the castle, worrying about the forthcoming news and what it would mean for her future at the Ministry. She really enjoyed working with Miss Granger and she really wanted to make other house-elves lives better, the way hers had been since she started her new job.

Hermione eventually stopped reading and passed the parchment across the desk to Betsy. "We're being summoned to a meeting with the Minister at 11. Both of us."

Betsy read the note for herself before lifting her head up from the parchment and staring at Miss Granger, her mouth open wide in surprise. "Even Betsy? But Betsy has never spoken to the Ministry of Magic before!"

"He's a good wizard; probably the best Minister we've ever had. He was there at the trial Betsy…"

"Yes, but Betsy never had a chance to speak to him 'cos the Minister was all the way up there with the Wizengamot and we had to sit all the way down there in our seats. Now we'll get to be face-to-face. I will be able to tell him why Betsy loves working in the Ministry and that she doesn't want to stop!"

"Definitely keep that thought in your back-pocket Betsy, just in case the conversation doesn't go the way we want it to!" Hermione took the note off Betsy and folded it carefully into a pocket. She reached for an internal memo, sending a quick note to Harry and Ron to let them know about the meeting.

"We should revise the key points Betsy. I know we know them inside out, but I wouldn't want the Minister to throw us a curveball and we wouldn't be able to answer…"

The pair spent the rest of the morning down in the library, both of them finding it a lot more comforting than the busy office.

The time came for their meeting with Kingsley. Hermione felt the walk to his office was the longest walk she'd ever taken, yet she found herself at his door far too quickly. Her stomach was a whirlwind of butterflies, but not the good kind. She lifted a shaky hand and knocked once. Betsy was stood closer to her than usual; the house-elf really didn't have any perspective of personal space, but Hermione found it comforting. It didn't take long for Shacklebolt to summon them into the office.

The Minister was sat back in his seat, fingers pressed together as he waited patiently for Hermione and Betsy to take their seats.

"Well Miss Granger, your Dobby's Law has definitely created a stir amongst the Wizengamot." Although the Minister's tone was stern, he had an amused look on his face. "Never has a law been debated in as much detail as this one. It split the Wizengamot completely in two."

Hermione felt her stomach lurch again. It had to be bad news. She tried her hardest to focus on how lovely a weekend she'd just had with Ron and his family, but she couldn't stop her brain from racing ahead. She couldn't stop thinking about how it would feel to tell them she'd failed. It made her feel sick. She tried to speak, but her throat was tight. She swallowed hard and tried again, her voice quiet and drawn.

"I understand…"

"Nevertheless…" The Minister interrupted her. "We eventually agreed to accept Dobby's law, with a few stipulations. We will need you to complete your house-elf register so that we can track and monitor the elves. There is a list of amendments that will need to be made to the law itself; Betsy and you should work with Claire Radford to get those reviewed and agreed. She was very impressed with your impassioned speech and has been your biggest advocate, which is highly commendable given how much she was against the law to begin with. You should aim to complete all of this by the New Year. Well done Miss Granger and Betsy…" The Minister stood up from his desk and held out his hand.

Hermione was lost for words. It had taken so long for the Wizengamot to debate the law that she had been expecting only bad news. She forced herself to stand up and shake his hand. "Thank you so much Minister. I promise I'll give this my all so that we can release the law on time."

The Minister moved on to shake Betsy's hand. "I'd expect nothing less of you. Congratulations Miss Granger. You are now the youngest witch to ever get a law passed via the Wizengamot."

Hermione eventually left Kingsley's office with Betsy hot on her heels. She was still stunned and didn't even notice Harry and Ron lingering in the corridor.

"Oy, Granger!" Ron frowned as he watched her walk straight past them.

Hermione spun on her heel as she heard his voice, a huge grin appearing on her face. "The Wizengamot accepted Dobby's Law!" She felt tears appear in her eyes as both boys pulled her into a huge hug. It felt great being able to share this with them; they'd both contributed to get getting this far in one way or another and she knew she was so lucky to have such great people in her life.


	10. Batchelor of the Month

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Witch Weekly announce October's Batchelor of the Month

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your continued messages and reviews! This chapter was inspired by Chemrunner57's "I Will Survive", although in their story; the award goes down very differently. I hope you enjoy xxx

One of the best parts of having Betsy as a colleague, Hermione thought, was her never- ending enthusiasm. She loved working, always contributed eagerly to discussions in the office and best of all, was a great listener. Even after a month of working with Hermione at the Ministry, the house-elf's enthusiasm hadn't waned.

Hermione was still surprised, however, when the elf entered the office and hurtled full speed towards their desk, clutching a piece of parchment in her hands. "Miss Granger, Miss Granger…"

Hermione tutted softly. It didn't matter how many times she asked Betsy, she still refused to call anyone in their office by their first name. "Betsy, I've told you – please call me Hermione…"

"Miss Granger… I has news!" The small house-elf flung herself into her desk chair and waved the parchment at Hermione. "Last night, a not Hogwarts elf appeared at the castle. It was really late and we was all busy getting the school ready for a new week of lessons so we didn't notice it. Hagrid almost fell over him as he went to go to his hut! It's all hush hush. I tried to go see them or find out something but it was time to come to work. Hagrid gave me this…"

Betsy finally let go of the parchment and passed it to Hermione who immediately recognised Hagrid's scrawl.

"Hermione,

Come and see me when you can. Bring Harry and Ron.

Hagrid"

Hermione frowned at the parchment. "Do you know if Hagrid wants to see Harry and Ron to be sociable, or because he feels he needs to get Aurors involved?"

Betsy shook her head. "He did not say Miss Granger…"

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment, the cogs in her head turning quickly as she tried to find anything to read between the lines on Hagrid's note. "I'm really reluctant to get the Auror department involved for no reason. Maybe Hagrid just wants to see them? Do you fancy coming down to the Auror department with me to pay them a visit?"

Betsy let out a small squeak. "Yes please! Mister Potter and Mister Weasley are good friends of Betsy's now. I like seeing them…"

"Come on then…" Hermione pulled on her robes and started to lead the small house-elf out of the department.

Hermione weaved her way through the myriad of piles of paperwork, rogue whiteboards and ignored internal memos towards the untidiest corner of the Auror Department, a confused look on her face. Every available inch of Harry and Ron's shared desk was covered in presents, flowers, boxes of chocolates and haughty looking owls with rolls of parchment still attached to their legs. Amongst all this, Ron and Harry were attempting to work.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?!" Hermione approached them cautiously.

Harry turned his chair towards the newcomers, trying to push his scowl into some form of welcoming smile. "It's October 1st isn't it? Witch Weekly have just announced their Batchelor of the Month…"

Hermione looked even more confused. "But you got married months ago Harry, everyone knows that!"

"Yep! But it wasn't me who got it!" Harry smirked and nodded towards Ron who was looking really sullen and glum.

The ginger wizard suddenly shoved the owl who had been repeatedly pecking at his hand and Hermione tried her hardest to suppress a laugh. Obviously, the news of their new relationship hadn't reached the Witch Weekly offices. She spotted the small glass award sat among the flowers on Ron's desk and picked it up to take a better look.

"Oh!"

"Oh!" Ron mimicked her in a nasty tone, lifting his head from his paperwork. "Don't sound so surprised…"

"Well did they not warn you? Surely they have to ask if you'd like to accept and well… you're not exactly a Batchelor anymore either…"

"Of course they didn't bloody warn me! I came in this morning to see the award waiting for me among all this shit!"

Hermione ignored Ron's surly attitude towards her and picked up a random bunch of flowers. She detached the card and read it out loud.

"'Dear Ronald. Thank you so much for saving the Wizarding World. I think you're so handsome. I would like to personally thank you if you have the spare time by cooking you dinner and then…'" Hermione suddenly blushed bright red. "Oh my, that's quite graphic and she's put her address on here too…" She held the card in front of her between two fingers, a disgusted look on her face.

"Yep! Seems like you've got competition 'Mione. Ronald here can have his pick of any single witch in the country. Probably some of the taken ones too…"

Hermione knew Harry was only teasing, but she couldn't help but feel a bit sick by all the attention Ron was getting. Their relationship was still fresh and new but they hadn't had a chance to speak about her leaving. Maybe Ron was still harbouring feelings of resentment for her and maybe one of these witches could offer something better for Ron, something more stable. Her good mood had instantly disappeared.

"Fuck off about it Harry!" Ron crossed his arms defensively and turned his scowl back to Hermione. "Are you down here to tease me about it too?!"

"No…" Hermione was trying her hardest to not let Ron's mood affect her but combined with her own sudden insecurities, she couldn't help but rise against his mood. "You know I don't read Witch Weekly and I didn't have a clue about this. We don't really discuss this magazine upstairs…"

"So why are you here?"

"Hagrid wants to see us!" She flung the piece of parchment at Ron a little too hard, who read it quickly then immediately looked excited. He jumped up from his seat and reached for his robes.

"Brilliant, let's go…"

"We can't just turn up at Hogwarts Ron. It's the middle of the school day for a start. I'll send a message back with Betsy tonight. Betsy, tell them what you told me…"

Betsy, who had been hovering just slightly away from the trio stepped forward, excitedly retelling her story.

"So we can't just go bombing in there. But Hagrid has asked for you two to come with me. Do you think you can get permission from Robards to come with me? Or can you take some time off or something? I don't think it's Auror business, but if Hagrid asked for you then it must mean something…"

Harry reached over his desk and took the note from Ron's hands, reading it quietly. "Yeah, I reckon we can probably get permission to come. Robards is keen for us to accompany workers on other Ministry business, so this is probably right up his street!"

"Brilliant…" Hermione took the note back from Harry. "What if I write back and say Thursday then?"

Harry nodded his agreement as Ron flung himself back into his seat, pushing over more flowers as he did so.

Hermione helped herself to a chocolate from a box that was already open. "So you don't mind the edible presents then?" She gave Ron a teasing smile, trying her best to cheer him up.

"They're mine aren't they? I can eat what I want…" Ron shot her another frown.

She let out a heavy sigh. "Right… I'll leave you with Grumpy then…." She threw her best friend and apologetic look before pushing herself up from where she was leaning against their desks.

Ron wasn't ready to stop taking his frustrations out on Hermione. "That's two of your boyfriends on the front cover of Witch Weekly now Hermione. You collecting us? I'm surprised Skeeter hasn't tried getting an interview with you!"

Hermione threw him a hurt look. "Maybe it'll be two of my ex-boyfriends on the cover of the magazine…" She turned on her heel quickly, leaving Betsy with Harry and Ron.

Harry glanced quickly at Betsy, who was stood looking nervous and obviously unsure of whether to follow Hermione or not before turning back to Ron. He raised his eyebrows at him.

Ron sighed, his bad mood towards Hermione melting instantly. He decided to speak, before Harry could tell him off. "I know, I know…" He rubbed his hand over his face before pushing himself up from his desk, following after Hermione. He caught up with her at the elevators, grabbing her hand just as she was about to step into one, pulling her back to him.

"I'm sorry, that was really awful thing for me to say…" He frowned as she resisted briefly but then stepped back towards Ron. "This morning has just been a little overwhelming…"

Hermione sighed, but her body relaxed slightly. "I'm trying so hard to not rock the boat and do whatever you need me to do Ron, but you do not get to speak to me like that – especially about something that's completely out of my control. Do you think I'm going to enjoy this?! You're getting all this attention from all these witches and there's nothing I can do to stop it! All of these witches throwing themselves at you, sending you explicit messages and presents. You really could have anyone you wanted right now…"

Ron let go of her hand, surprised slightly by how insecure this had made her feel. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at his feet. "I didn't ask for any of this, Hermione…"

"You should know that Witch Weekly publishes tripe like this all the time and their speciality is doing things without people's permission. It should be illegal. Look at how they flipped Lavender's article last month. They ignored her pleas to pull it. It seems like they just won't leave us the hell alone and it's pissing me off!" Hermione stomped her foot in frustration. "We have far more important things going on right now…"

Hermione's outburst seemed to calm him down slightly. It made him realise that there was someone on his side that wouldn't tease him the way Harry and his brothers do. He sighed and stepped forward, closing the gap between them before taking one of her hands in both of his.

"I'm sorry I'm a git. But I don't want any of these witches, I promise… I only want you!"

Hermione softened slightly and lifted her spare hand to push his fringe off his forehead. "I'm on your side Ron, I promise." She reached up on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss against his lips. "Don't rise to the teasing… you know what they're all like…" She smiled slightly as he nodded and she pulled him closer into a tight hug. "Do you want me to send something into the magazine to tell them about us? Because I will do it if you need it?"

Ron rested his forehead against hers. "No… it's okay. I want to keep you out of all this, you don't need the publicity affecting Dobby's Law. They'll get bored of me eventually. Thank you though…"

"That's okay…" Hermione moved in to kiss him again, but Ron was disturbed by one of the lifts pinging open. A group of witches emerged, immediately giggling at the sight of Ron. She sighed as the scowl immediately reappeared on his face. She squeeze his hand to bring his attention back to her. "Come to mine tonight, I'll cook you dinner…"

"Okay…" Ron reluctantly let go of her. "I think Betsy is talking Harry's ear off. I'll send her up once she's finished fawning over Harry…"

Hermione smiled slightly and final stepped into the elevator. Ron watched until she was completely out of sight then headed back to his desk, his mood improving slightly. When he got back to Harry and Betsy, the desks were cleared of presents, aside from a few boxes of chocolates; making him feel even better.

"Where are all my presents?" He threw himself down into his desk chair.

"Mister Potter asked if Betsy could do anything with them, so I sent them to the Hogwarts kitchens so they didn't make Mister Weasley sad anymore…"

"Thank you Betsy…" He gave the house-elf a smile before picking up some paperwork, determined to just get on with his day.


	11. Back to Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry, Ron & Hermione travel to Hogwarts to meet Betsy and Hagrid and discuss the mystery elf that appeared on the steps of Hogwarts at the end of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continued support and reviews. Please let me know if you're enjoying this, or even if you're not - I really do appreciate all of the feedback I get ❤ Writing Hagrid was hard, I wanted to get his tone right but it was also quite distracting! xxx

It took some persuading, but Robards eventually agreed to let Harry and Ron accompany Hermione to Hogwarts on "official business". Although if you were to ask him, he would say he gave in to the pair's constant nagging. He was interested to find out where this house-elf had come from; they didn't just pop out of the woodwork and getting the two trainees out into the field would be good for their development.

Hermione had taken this as a good sign. She would need to have the Auror Department on side to finish implementing Dobby's Law and ensure that anyone breaking it would be punished correctly. What Harry and Ron decided not to tell her was that the department was relatively quiet at the moment.

Hagrid had been keen to meet them, so a couple of days after receiving his note; the trio found themselves walking down the long drive towards Hogwarts, arms looped together just like they used to when they were students.

As they got to the entrance, Hermione spotted Betsy hopping excitedly from foot-to-foot.

"Good morning Betsy…" Hermione shivered slightly and drew her robes around her a bit tighter. Although it was already October, she always forgot how much colder it was in Scotland than London. She felt Ron take a step closer to her and she briefly wondered how much warmer he thought he'd be able to make her. Still, she smiled slightly to herself; she liked it when he was trying to be chivalrous.

It had been a rough start to the week for him. He couldn't go anywhere magical without attracting some sort of attention. It was worse than at the end of the war; at least the spotlight had mostly been on Harry, who was sort of used to it, and they could share the load between them. Ron was trying his hardest to keep a low profile at work, gaining permission from Kingsley to apparate directly into his office to avoid being harassed. However, he'd had to move out of his flat temporarily after a particularly creepy owl message had managed to get past the strong security wards he'd put up. There were some very strange and very magical witches out there, and a few wizards too.

Hermione had been trying her best to support him, mostly by being there to listen to his rants and offer to hunt down the witches (and wizards) who were messaging him inappropriate things. She had offered for him to stay at Primrose Cottage with her, but he had turned her down; not wanting to put more pressure on their relationship. After their failed attempt to take a walk through Diagon Alley last night, they'd revisited Hermione's offer to send a note to Witch Weekly whilst she cooked him dinner but they had both agreed it would only make matters worse, not better. Nothing seemed to deter Witch Weekly, no matter how difficult it was making people's lives.

At least Ron had stopped being surly and grumpy with her and Harry, helped by Hermione apologising for retaliating to his mood at the start of the week. It had made things a lot easier to deal with.

"Morning Miss Granger, Mister Potter and Mister Weasley!" The house-elf had decided to wear her Hogwarts uniform with the library emblem on it this morning and was wearing a small, brightly coloured bobble hat on her head to fend off the cold. "Hagrid is without lessons this morning so he says for us to go straight down to his hut to see him. He has baked his rock cakes, but I is warning you they are not very nice. Betsy asked Florence in the kitchens to make other cakes to bring…" She pointed at the small, wrapped tray on the floor at her feet.

"Excellent… I'm starving…" Ron lurched for the tray but pouted as Hermione swatted him away.

"You've just had breakfast!" She picked up the tray with a laugh. "You can at least wait until we get down to Hagrid's…"

They let Betsy lead them down the familiar path through the grounds that they'd tread far too many times to remember. The half-giant was sat outside his hut, Fang lying by his side, and he got to his feet as he saw them approach, excitedly holding his arms out for them.

"Ahh there the three of yer are… I miss yer so much…" He wrapped his long, thick arms around all three of them at the same time, squishing them together in a rib-breaking hug.

Harry laughed; his voice muffled by Hagrid's tangled beard. "My wedding was only a few months ago Hagrid…"

"I know, I know… but I'm used to seein' yer every day at school. The new kids are great, but it's not the same y'know? It's quieter..." He eventually unwrapped his arms from around them and led them into the hut. As the four of them took their seats, he lifted a huge black kettle onto the fire. Fang rested his head in Harry's lap.

The group made small talk as Hagrid prepared the tea, serving it up with the rock cakes proudly. Whilst his back was turned, Hermione slid Florence's cakes on to the plate discreetly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. They ate and drank as they made animated conversation for a few minutes.

Eventually, Hermione transfigured a notebook and quill from seemingly thin air, grinning as Ron looked impressed. "It's so great catching up with you Hagrid, but do you think you're ready to tell me about the stray elf?"

"Yer yer of course…" The half-giant helped himself to a cake and another cup of tea. Hermione waited patiently for him to finish eating and start talking. "So it were a few days ago now. We'd just finished dinner in the Great Hall 'n' I'd been up to ol' Flitwick's office for a few Firewhiskeys, like we normally do, 'n' I was just headin' out to go back to me hut 'n' I almost fell over the poor thing. 'Ee were just a bundle o'rags. Very skinny, looked under fed 'n' covered in cuts 'n' bruises; close to death 'ee was."

"And is he okay now?" Hermione frowned slightly.

"'ee's up in the infirmary. 'ee's been asleep since 'ee got yer. 'Ee's not talked or anything. Betsy 'as been keepin' an eye on 'im when she's back at the castle…"

Hermione smiled briefly at her co-worker before turning her attention back to Hagrid. "Do we have any idea of where he's come from yet?"

Hagrid shook his head. "No idea…"

Hermione sighed. "I had hoped we would be able to find out more. Where he came from, why he chose to come here instead of the Ministry, did he live with anyone else…"

Harry had been listening to quietly to the conversation. "It could be a dead end 'Mione. He could have just escaped from a pure-blood house somewhere…" He frowned in concentration as he spoke.

"Nah, Hermione has all the elves belonging to pure-bloods on her register already. She and Betsy visited all of them to double check. It's hardly likely there's a pure-blood hiding around, looks too suspicious post war…" Ron blushed as Harry, Hermione, Betsy and Hagrid's eyes were on him. "What?!"

Hermione tried to hide her surprise as she regarded Ron closely. She hadn't realised just how much attention he'd been paying to her rants about work and Dobby's Law. She gave him a small appreciative smile and turned her attention back to Hagrid.

"Well exactly Ron. I just think we're not getting the full picture here, that something more sinister is going on. Hagrid, would it be possible to pop up to the infirmary briefly to see him?"

"Yer of course. Come on then…" Hagrid pushed his giant chair back and threw Fang a treat to keep him occupied before leading the group back up to the castle.

They headed quietly into the infirmary and Hagrid made a beeline to the only occupied bed on the ward.

Hermione let out a small gasp as they saw the elf. He was dwarfed by the human-sized bed. He still looked weak, although at least the tufts of grey hair above his ear were clean now and he was wearing clean bed clothes but they did nothing to hide the fading bruises and scars covering his arms.

Hagrid spoke as softly as possible for a half-giant. "'Ee was in such a state when 'ee turned up. Dir'y, took me a full house to bathe 'im clean. I just hope 'ee wakes up soon…"

"Me too…" Hermione watched the sleeping elf sadly for a few moments before letting out a heavy sigh. "I don't think there's anything more we can do here today. Thank you Hagrid for inviting us up. Can you let me know if he wakes up?"

Hagrid nodded, waiting until they were back outside the infirmary before drawing the trio into another tight hug. "I guess I'll be seein' a little more of yer then. It'll be like when we freed Buckbeak!"

Hermione threw Ron and Harry a guilty look. Hagrid's interpretation of what had happened with Buckbeak was very different to their own. They left Hagrid at the doors to the infirmary and started walking with Betsy down to the entrance hall, telling the house-elf all about the rescue of Buckbeak (and the freeing of Sirius Black). They barely noticed the attention they were getting from the students as they passed them in the corridor; too busy reliving their youth.

They stopped in the entrance and Betsy was the first to change the subject. "If it's okay with you Miss Granger, Betsy will stay here today and look after the elf?"

"I think that's a good idea Betsy. Can you keep me updated please? Hagrid is quite forgetful and is likely to pass on the message late…"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Betsy will check in regularly…"

"Thank you!" Hermione watched fondly as Harry and Ron shook hands with the elf then started up the drive with them. "I don't know about you two, but I'm hungry. Do you fancy grabbing lunch at the Three Broomsticks?"

Ron shook his head vehemently. "No way… I cannot handle going in to anywhere magical right now…"

"Sorry, I forgot! How about we apparate back and find somewhere in muggle London then?"

The trio apparated together when they got to the end of the castle's drive and easily found somewhere in muggle London to grab lunch.

After lunch, the trio went back to the Auror department; commandeering one of the many training rooms to map out what they already knew about the situation. Abuse of domesticated magical creatures was still against the basic wizarding laws that already existed, although it was very tricky to prove the abuse was taking place and provide a suitable level of punishments. If they were caught, wizards would just receive a slap on the wrist and maybe a fine, but then they were free to carry on, probably making the elf's life even more difficult because of it. This is why Dobby's Law was so important to Hermione.

Ron and Harry were eager to get involved, not just because of their ties with Hermione and Dobby, but because they were eager to prove themselves as worthy Aurors. In training, they often got teased for only being allowed on the course because of their defeat of Voldemort despite coming top of all their classes.

As the three of them discussed ideas and theories, Ron couldn't help but notice Hermione seemed more subdued than she had been at lunch. They had worked hard all afternoon and Hermione had given them the briefest hug before making her way home by herself.

Ron followed Harry back to their desks to collect their things.

"Tough day…" Harry sighed slightly. "I'm getting the feeling we're wasting our time with this though. I hate to go against Hermione's thoughts on this, but if its a dead end Robards will go nuts AND we'll have to work extra hours to make up for all the training missed!"

"Yeah…" Ron felt a little distracted by Hermione's mood. "I still have faith in Hermione." He threw an accusatory glance at Harry. "She knows what she's doing and she follows her head most of the time. She wouldn't be roping us in if she didn't think it was worth our time…"

"I guess…" Harry shrugged and pulled on his robes. "You ready?"

"Actually, I think I might pop in and check on her on my way to yours. She didn't seem herself this afternoon…"

Harry nodded knowingly, clapping Ron on his shoulder. "Alright, tell her she can come to dinner if she wants…" Harry gave him a smile and left to use to Floo system in the Ministry Atrium. Ron checked he had everything before apparating directly to Primrose Cottage.

The thought that someone, somewhere had happily allowed their house elf to live in such an awful state had really upset Hermione. Of course, she knew that elves were often mistreated by their pure-blood owners; it was what had fuelled her to start the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, but to see in real life the scars and bruises on that poor elf's body had really hit home the importance of her work. She had felt a quiet rage bubbling around her skin all afternoon, despite her outward, sunny appearance.

She had just finished changing into her pyjamas, ready for an evening of going through her notes and trying to find something she or the boys may have missed earlier when she heard the soft pop that indicated someone had apparated into the cottage. Knowing that only a handful of people had access through her wards, she pulled one of Ron's old jumpers over her head and hurried downstairs, surprised to see Ron looking for her.

"Hey you! Did I leave something in work?"

Ron looked up at the sound of her voice and gave her a small smile. "No… I just wanted to check in on you. You seemed a bit quiet this afternoon…."

Hermione smiled slightly and headed over to him. "I'm okay, I guess. Seeing that poor elf made me feel a bit sad though… and angry…"

"I thought so…" Ron wrapped his arms around her as soon as she got to him, pulling her tight to his chest. He stroked her hair softly. "Dobby's law is going to help prevent this sort of thing in the future Hermione, but it's probably going to get a lot harder before it does…"

She nodded against his chest, letting out a soft sigh. "Thank you…" She drew her arms around his waist, sliding one hand under his top to stroke the small of his back. "You didn't have to come here and check up on me…"

"Yeah I did… it's what boyfriends do. I care about you a lot 'Mione and seeing you upset makes me feel upset…" He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Hermione tried to nestle even closer to him, seeking comfort from his warm skin. She sighed as she felt a stubborn tear escape her eye, but she didn't move to wipe it away, not wanting to loosen her grip on him. She stood like this with him for as long as she possibly could.

Eventually, Ron unwrapped one arm carefully from around her, ignoring her moan of complaint. He slid his hand to her cheek, caressing it softly with his thumb before dropping his head to kiss her softly. He felt his heart start to speed up as she returned the kiss eagerly. It didn't matter how much they did this; he just could not get used to kissing her like this again and was surprised at how quickly he was starting to fall for her. Eventually, he pulled away, gazing at her flushed cheeks and swollen lips.

"That helped to cheer me up a bit…" Hermione was breathless when she spoke.

"Well I'm good at something at least…" He rubbed his nose against hers, pressing a final kiss against her lips before letting go of her. "I have to go though. Ginny is cooking dinner and she'll hex me if I'm late. Harry said you're welcome to join us…"

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not feeling very sociable tonight. I think I'll just read over my notes and get an early night…"

"Okay…" Ron understood; like him, Hermione often liked to be left alone when she was feeling down or annoyed at something but he couldn't help but pout still. "I'll see you in work tomorrow though, yeah?" He gave her one of his smiles when she nodded, the kind that always made her feel weak at the knees. He took a handful of floo powder from the pot on her mantlepiece and threw it in, disappearing in a rush of green flames.


	12. Crookshanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione has been working hard and finally allows herself a quiet weekend, only for disaster to strike when she can't find her favourite companion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Death of a pet. This chapter was painful but also one of my favourites to write. I'm sorry for what I've done, but I promise there's some fluff coming up to make up for it xx

Over the next few weeks, Hogwarts found itself home to five more stray house elves. Each of them turned up alone; in a similar state to the first one. They were hungry and cold, their bodies covered in cuts and bruises and they were scared. Once they'd allowed Madam Pomfrey and Hagrid to tend to their wounds and feed them they had drifted into a deep sleep. They only woke to eat. They would only allow Betsy to speak to them, but even then they only communicated with her in short sentences. They were reluctant to give away any details about where they came from or why they had turned up at Hogwarts.

Hermione felt passionately that these elves were the missing piece to finishing her register so she had started spending more time up at the castle. It was a fine balancing act though; she also needed to ensure her duties at the Ministry were seen to, as well as making time for Ron and her friends. She only found herself going home to sleep and make sure Crookshanks was fed and okay.

Hermione cursed as she apparated to Hogwarts and was immediately greeted by a torrential downpour. She cast an umbrella charm and drew her now soggy robes around her as she quickly travelled down the drive towards the castle. She really hated the winter.

She shook off the rain as she got into the infirmary and was immediately greeted by Betsy. The house-elf barely gave her time to remove her wet outdoor robes before she took Hermione's hand and started to drag her towards the elves.

"He is awake Miss Granger…" Betsy sounded excited and her words mostly came out as garbled nonsense but after working with her closely for three months, Hermione had become fluent in Betsy.

"Good morning to you too Betsy. Who is awake?" Hermione was amused but followed Betsy anyway.

"The first elf… look…"

Hermione got to the bed and smiled as she noticed the house-elf was sat up in bed and eating breakfast. She hovered at the end of the bed until he finished.

"Hi…" She gave the elf a warm smile. She felt nervous, if she said the wrong thing she could set herself back weeks of effort. "I don't think you know me, but I'm Hermione Granger. I am in charge of introducing a law to improve house-elf welfare but I've been spending a lot of my time up here looking after you and your fellow house-elves." She held out her hand for the elf to shake, which he eventually did, albeit a bit wearily.

"Betsy says you have been working hard to look after me. My name is Charles. I am feeling very tired now and I think I shall sleep some more. Tomorrow, I shall tell you more…"

Hermione watched, slightly incredulously as the elf lay himself back down in his bed and promptly started snoring. She had so many questions to ask him, but she didn't want to push him and risk scaring him off. Also, tomorrow was the weekend and she had been trying her hardest to keep her weekends free so she could try and have some form of social life. Nevertheless, if he wanted to speak to her again tomorrow she would be here.

She watched the elf sleep for a while before deciding to head back to the office to finish her day there. She had a mountain of paperwork to complete and she'd been putting off a meeting with Claire Radford for a week or so. She rubbed her forehead and got up from her seat, approaching Madam Pomfrey and Betsy.

"If it's okay, I'm going to head back to the Ministry and catch-up with some of my paperwork. He told me his name was Charles, but he's gone back to sleep now. They're in your safe hands and there's not much I can do up here anyway…"

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Please can you speak to Kingsley again about finding somewhere for the elves to stay. They're okay up here for now, but I'll run out of space for students before long."

Hermione agreed to try and contact the Minister before she finished for the day. She wished everyone a good weekend before heading back out in the rain, rushing to the apparition point. By the time she got to her desk, she was starting to soaked through again. She cast a quick drying charm and then settled down after getting a cup of tea; ready to tackle the mountain of paperwork she had been ignoring.

Her day at the office was still long and it was almost dark by the time she'd got home. She'd popped into a muggle supermarket on her way to pick up her favourite bottle of wine and some comfort food. With no plans to see Ron until lunch at the Burrow that Sunday, she was looking forward to curling up with Crookshanks and finally finishing the book she'd been trying to read for the past few weeks.

She hung her bag and outdoor robes on the hook by the front door and carried the shopping through to the kitchen. She unpacked it with a flick of her wand, calling for the old, grumpy cat as she did. He had been taking longer to respond to her recently and she wondered if he was starting to go deaf. She didn't know how old he was, only that he'd been in the shop for a long time as 'nobody wanted him'. He'd been her loyal companion for around seven years now and the only time he hadn't been by her side was while she was in Australia or on the hunt for horcruxes.

Hermione checked all of the cat's favourite spaces in the house, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in her stomach that something wasn't right. She started to feel panicked when she got to her bedroom and couldn't find him at the end of her bed. She forgot about changing out of her work clothes and instead rushed back downstairs. She pulled on her wellies and headed out into the garden, using her wand to light her way in the growing dusk. It was unlikely that he was out here, she'd spent ages teaching him how to use the cat flap when they first moved into the cottage as he hated the wet weather.

Her stomach gave a massive lurch as she spotted a pair of ginger fluffy legs lying underneath Crookshanks' favourite bush at the bottom of the untidy garden. He enjoyed it down there as the bush gave him enough shade in the sun, but he was still able to watch the birds eat their worms. But he never lay out in the dark or in the rain. She pushed her wet hair out of her face as she called desperately for him again, but instead of springing up and hurrying to her to be fussed, the cat stayed still.

Hermione crossed the lawn quickly, the feeling of dread now bubbling up from her stomach and to her throat. She felt like she was going to be sick but she ignored the feeling, instead throwing herself down next to him in the mud. She checked him over although she was finding it increasingly hard to see as her tears mingled with the rain and clouded her vision. She blinked fast as she sat back against her heels.

"Oh Crookshanks…" She rested a hand over the cat. He was so cold and wet. "I'm so sorry…"

She sat in the mud for a while, crying over her lost companion. She ignored the cold rain seeping through her work clothes and let her wand go out, focusing only on her grief and letting the dark garden close in around her.

Eventually, the tears stopped although the rain did not let out. Hermione pulled her wand out of her pocket and accio'd Crookshanks' favourite blanket; wrapping him up carefully before bringing him in to the cottage. The lights in the house lit up automatically as she walked through to the kitchen and she put him down carefully on the kitchen table.

Suddenly, she knew she couldn't deal with this alone and she couldn't leave Crookshanks lying on her kitchen table until she felt better. There was only one person she needed. She hurried upstairs to her study, ignoring the muddy footprints she was leaving throughout the house and wrote a quick note to Ron on a scrap piece of parchment. She tied it to the leg of her owl, Aesop.

"Please take this to Ron. He should be at home, but if not try the Ministry or The Burrow…" The owl gave her finger a short, fond nibble to show he understood her before taking off out of the study window. Hermione watched him fly into the dark evening then headed back downstairs, ignoring the cold now creeping through her body.

Almost half an hour passed before Ron folded himself out of her fireplace, clutching hold of the piece of parchment with a panicked look on his face. He was still wearing his workout clothes, which meant the owl must have found him in the Auror training centre. Hermione had been trying to conjure herself a cup of tea so she could avoid the kitchen but was so worked up she had only managed to achieve some sort of weak liquid that did nothing to make her feel better.

Ron spotted her sat on the sofa and headed over to her straight away. He tried not to think the worst had happened as he took in her appearance, muddy and looking bedraggled from the rain. She was still wearing her work clothes as well. He sat down next to her and pushed a lank curl away from her face.

"Hermione? What's wrong?"

Hermione had been doing so well to fight off the tears after her first crying fit, but the look of concern on Ron's face was all she needed to set her off again. She burst into tears. "It's Crookshanks…"

"What's the stupid cat done now?" He pulled the mug out of her hand and placed it on the coffee table carefully before wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Hemione couldn't answer and instead buried her head against his chest as she sobbed. Ron hadn't seen her this worked up in a long time and it worried him but instead of pushing her for an answer, he stroked her hair patiently and waited until she calmed herself down before speaking again.

"Come on sweetheart, tell me what's wrong?"

Hermione didn't pull away but instead used his vest to wipe her eyes. "He's dead Ron…"

Ron sighed and pulled her closer to him. "Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry…"

"And the worst thing is he died alone. I've hardly been home the last few weeks. He probably thought I'd abandoned him…"

"I'm positive he didn't…" Ron pulled her away from him and cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb under her eye to get rid of the tears.

Hermione rested her head against his hand with a heavy sigh. "I couldn't even bury him… he's in the kitchen."

"Want me to help?"

She nodded weakly and got up from the sofa. She took Ron's hand tightly and led him to the kitchen, where Crookshanks was still lying wrapped in his favourite blanket. "I couldn't leave him out in the rain…" She pointed at the table but wouldn't get any closer than the kitchen door.

"Okay…" Ron headed over to the cat and pulled back the blanket slightly. He double checked for a breath or pulse before shaking his head. He looked back over at Hermione sadly. "He's definitely gone babe…"

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Can we put him in the garden?"

"Of course… come on, we'll do it the muggle way…"

He led Hermione out into the garden, the cat firmly in his arms. He laid him down somewhere sheltered then found a spade in Hermione's shed. He got to work digging a shallow grave under Crookshanks' favourite brush. Whilst he dug, Hermione provided light from her wand.

Once the grave was ready, Hermione passed Crookshanks over to Ron who made sure he was tucked up securely. He stood up at the graveside and took Hermione's hand tightly, ignoring the rain and cold belting down on them.

"Oh Crookshanks, you were a grumpy, old, squash-faced cat. I really wish we had listened to you when you tried to get rid of Scabbers and I'm sorry I called you evil. I hope you're now safe in whatever constitutes for heaven for magical animals, although sadly Peter Pettigrew probably won't be there for you to chase.

"It's a shame you ate the Queen from my chess set all those years ago, they were my favourite players. I will miss you hissing at me whenever I tried to make a move on Hermione. Thank you for keeping her safe all these years; there will never be a cat quite like you again!"

Hermione let out a soft laugh, despite the fresh tears falling from her eyes. As Ron carefully filled in the grave, she found a flat stone and marked it with the cat's name.

"That was a very fitting eulogy Ron. Thank you…" She wiped her eyes again, now shaking in the cold rain.

"Why thank you, you're not the only one in this relationship who's good with words you know!" Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulder and started to lead her back into the cottage. "Lets go dry off shall we…" He carefully led her upstairs, adding to the muddy footprints already trailing through the house. He pulled her into the bathroom and sat her down on the side of the bath.

"You're turning blue, where are your towels?"

Hermione lifted a shaky hand and pointed to the correct cupboard. She watched as Ron pulled two of her largest, fluffiest towels out and warmed them up with a quick charm.

"Arms up then, lets get you out of these wet clothes…"

Hermione laughed slightly despite her tears and stood up from the side of the bath. She was usually the one acting like the mother of the group, so she loved it when Ron looked after her. She kept eye contact with him as she raised her arms and let him pull her soggy blouse over her head. Instead of letting her arms drop to her sides, she took hold of the bottom of his top and pulled it over his head. She dropped it to the floor before pressing a soft kiss against his lips.

Her heart pounded as she carried on kissing him. As they kissed, they slowly removed each other's wet clothes. Hermione moaned softly against Ron's lips as she felt his fingers graze against her skin, instantly warming her up. It wasn't until he broke away to wrap the warm towel around her body that she realised they were both naked. Although she always felt completely comfortable being naked around him, she still blushed slightly. He stepped away to fasten his own towel around his waist before smiling sheepishly at her.

"Sorry, I got carried away…" Ron blushed too and Hermione felt her heart leap.

She gave him a reassuring smile. "Please don't apologise; it's not like we haven't been naked around each other before." She took a step back towards him to close the gap he'd created. She leaned into him to give him another kiss, making this one a bit harder. She let out a soft moan as she felt him reciprocate and it didn't take long before she felt him run his tongue along her lips. She parted them willingly as the kiss deepened and she started to steer him out of the bathroom and towards her bedroom.

They carried on kissing as they moved, laughing against each other's lips as they bumped into a wall halfway there. Their hands traced well practised patterns against each other's skin, but there was still an air of something new between them too.

Hermione caught her hip against her bedroom door and let out a sharp intake of breath. It didn't hurt for long though, as she felt Ron's hand slide between her towel to rub it softly. Suddenly, the back of her legs hit her mattress and she crashed down onto the bed with a laugh, pulling Ron down with her.

Ron let out a slightly nervous laugh as he shifted his weight so he didn't squash her. He wanted her so badly, but he was painfully aware she'd just suffered a loss and they were supposed to be taking things slow. Mind you, he thought, the fact they had been dating for four months or so and they hadn't got to this point already was worth of a medal in his opinion. He felt her hand pulls at the knot keeping his towel around his hips and he moved so he could push her hair away from her face, giving her better access in the process. He placed a few kisses down the side of her ear, before lingering his lips close to her. When he spoke, his voice was low and deliberate.

"You sure about this?"

Hermione ignored his question and instead pulled determinedly at his towel. She lifted her head to capture his lips in a hungry kiss and slid her hands to his backside, pushing his body closer to hers. She didn't want to talk right now, she needed to feel his skin pressed against hers. She just needed him. She tore her lips from his and started to work her way down his neck, nipping and biting at his skin.

Ron groaned and pushed her towel up, not wanting to wait to remove it completely. He slid his hand to her thigh, forcing her legs apart more so that he could nestle himself between them. She automatically wrapped her legs around his hips and drove her heels into his backside to push him closer.

He moaned her name as he felt her teeth clamp down on a particularly sensitive spot on his neck. It didn't take much for him to shift his hips and slide into her with ease. Although he tried his hardest to take it slow, the way she was nipping and pulling at his skin was driving him crazy. With one hand gripping her hip tightly, he used the other to pull her head away from his skin and captured her lips in a hard kiss.

Despite the fact it had been over a year since they last did this, they easily found their rhythm. Minutes could have passed since the last time; she felt familiar and good; like they were designed for each other. He felt Hermione wrap her arms around him tightly, holding his body close to hers as they moved in time with each other. She was explicit with how good he was making her feel, which only drove him to work harder against her.

Ron fought to hold on, sliding a hand in between them. He was only focused on her pleasure; he needed her to feel good, to forget about her awful day. She clamped her teeth down hard on his shoulder as he pressed against the tight bundle of nerves and he grinned inwardly. When she came, it was loud and the feeling of her body trembling underneath him was enough to push him over the edge. Still he carried on moving, never wanting the feeling to stop.

Eventually, his movements slowed and he carefully rolled off her. He turned his head to watch her untangle herself from her towel and throw it to the floor before moving to curl up to his side; neither of them bothering to cover themselves up.

"Thank you Ron…" Hermione whispered softly before lifting her head to press lazy kisses against his chest.

Ron laughed softly and lifted a hand to stroke her hair. "I hope you don't think I was taking advantage of you being upset…" He watched her closely, the seeds of doubt already seeping into his mind.

"Ron no, of course not…" She lifted her head from his chest, frowning at him. "I may be upset, but I really wanted this. I've wanted it for a while actually, probably since before we got back together…" She leaned across him to give him a kiss before flopping back down on his chest.

He stayed silent for a while. The seeds of doubt that he had taken advantage of her replaced instead by thoughts of what she had been up to while they were apart.

"Was there anyone else? You know, while I was away…." As soon as he'd said it, he regretted it. He didn't want to spoil the moment, but he was torn between that and his curiosity.

Hermione sighed and sat up, although she tried hard to keep contact with him. She looked down at him fondly. "No Ron. I tried dating, but it's pretty hard when you live with your parents and you're new to an area…" She lifted her hand to stroke his hair. "I wasn't keeping myself for you though. I did try hard to get over you, so don't let the fact there's been nobody else inflate your ego…"

Ron smiled and sat up too to give her a kiss. "Sorry, what you did while we weren't together is none of my business…"

"It's okay to be curious about it though…" She kissed him again then laughed as his stomach growled. "You hungry?"

"Starving! I'd been in the gym for an hour before I got your owl. I was about to get a shower then Nev and I were going to get dinner at the Leaky…" He pouted at Hermione.

Hermione pouted back at him. "Good job I bought myself a ton of junk food to tie me over the weekend then. And wine!"

"Bloody brilliant!" Ron grinned. "As much as it pains me to suggest it, why don't we get dressed and move downstairs. We can spend the evening watching those shit muggle movies you love so much; a real soppy one and we can stuff ourselves silly."

Hermione nodded with a fond smile. "Thank you Ron…"

"Don't mention it…" He stood up and reached for his towel. "I'll go dry our clothes so I have something to wear. I'll see you downstairs…" He gave her a fond smile then headed back through to the bathroom to sort everything out.


	13. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione wakes up, surprised to find Ron in bed next to her. They enjoy a lazy early morning in bed together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a day off work today. I had plans, but local lockdown scuppered them so have a bonus fluff/smut chapter. This is one of my favourites as it's so purely Ron & Hermione and fluffy and they start to discuss some of their deeper feelings about their relationship. I hope you enjoy as much as me! x

Hermione woke early the next morning, a familiar warmth lying next to her in bed. Without opening her eyes, she reached for the source of the heat. She was surprised when instead of Crookshanks' warm fluffy body, she was met with the hard muscle of Ron's arm. She let out a sad sigh as she remembered why he was there and rolled back over towards him, seeking out comfort from his arms.

Instinctively, Ron curled his arm tighter around her and pulled her closer. Hermione nestled her head under his chin and closed her eyes.

"You awake?" When she spoke, her voice was thick with sadness.

"No…" Ron opened one eye blearily to look at her.

"You stayed the night…"

Ron raised his one eyebrow at Hermione's statement. "Yeah and I forgot how much of an early bird you are." He slid one hand down her body to rest at the small of her back, stroking it comfortingly. "You made me watch one of the saddest movies in existence and when I started the second one, you barely lasted 10 minutes before falling asleep on me. When I brought you up to bed, you wouldn't let me go; not that I really wanted to leave anyway…" He pressed a kiss amongst her curls. "Now shush and go back to sleep."

"I would have asked you to stay if I wasn't asleep. This is where you belong…" She started drawing a pattern on his bare chest with her finger, sending goosebumps along his arms.

Ron reluctantly opened his other eye, figuring she wasn't planning on going back to sleep anytime soon. He moved his spare hand to her hair, stroking it softly. "How are you feeling?"

"My eyes are sore and I have a bit of a headache but I feel so so sad though Ron…"

"Well that's understandable sweetheart. You had a really rough day yesterday. Crookshanks was a massive part of your life for so long. Do you think you'll get another cat?"

Hermione lifted her head from his skin, looking thoughtful. "No, I don't think so. At least not at the moment. I'm so busy and it's hard enough making sure I have time for you…"

"You know I don't mind it if you're busy, right? I get it – the work we both do means we may be apart from each other for periods of time…"

"I know…" Hermione wrinkled her face up in displeasure at the thought of it. "I don't like the idea of it but I do understand. But it's about balance Ron. You're so important to me, more than anything else in the world." She reached a hand up to stroke his cheek. "You have to know that?"

"Of course I do…" He rested his head against her hand.

"Good!" Hermione pushed herself up to give him a soft kiss before dropping her head back to his shoulder, breathing in his comforting scent. "Crookshanks was too special to replace. Maybe when we start thinking about a family we can get a dog first…"

"A dog AND a family?" Ron raised his eyebrows again. "And you still want 10 kids?!"

"Yes… I hated being an only child…"

Ron frowned playfully at her. "Blimey! You sleep with a girl once and suddenly she's planning out your family…" He tightened his arms around her.

Hermione laughed slightly, snuggling closer to him again.

"We better get started then, or you'll soon get past your child-bearing years…"

"Oy!" Hermione lifted her head with a frown. "I've only just turned 21!"

"And yet, you're still older than me!" He smirked, grabbing Hermione's hand as she moved to punch him.

"You just watch it Weasley…" She struggled half-heartedly in his grip. "Or I'll tell your brothers about your bubble baths!" Hermione tried to grin at him, but it quickly disappeared from her face. "Thank you so much for coming over last night. I know you had better plans last night than helping me bury Crookshanks…"

Ron relinquished his hold on her with a comforting smile. "That's what boyfriends do, right? I always want you to be able to call on me if you need me, no matter what else I have planned. You've always been one of the most important people in my life, girlfriend or not…"

Hermione gazed up at him, his words making her feel slightly more cheerful if only for a moment. "It feels so good hearing you say that Ron…" She pushed herself away from his skin again, resting her hands either side of his head. Slowly, she shifted to straddle his waist, pressing a soft kiss against his lips as she moved.

Ron grinned into the kisses, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her down to him so that her whole weight lay on top of him. He kept the kisses soft and slow, savouring the feel of her body pressed against his. Where last night, the sex between them was passionate and needy, he wanted to keep things slower and more loving this morning.

Although he hadn't said it yet, Ron was almost positive he was falling back in love with the girl in his arms. The feeling hadn't really gone away, despite their time apart. It had just faded for a time, he reckoned. The reassurance that she was prioritising him now over everything else was enough for him to let down his guard and start putting more trust in her. He knew deep down in his bones that this time was different for the both of them.

Hermione could never get enough of kissing Ron; it was something she thought she could happily do for the rest of her life. But she tore her lips from his anyway and started to slowly kiss down his neck, letting her fingers explore his body as she moved. She grinned against his skin as she heard him groan her name; his voice low and guttural making the hairs on her arm stand on end, igniting a heat deep in her belly. She continued to move her kisses down his body, tasting his skin as if it was the first time. She enjoyed the feel of his hard stomach muscles and took her time reintroducing herself to his new body shape. She loved his body how it was before, of course, but only a Dementor would not appreciate the effort he'd been putting in to keep himself fit for Auror training.

He groaned again and laced his fingers through her hair. "What are you up to?"

"Thanking you for being such a special boyfriend…" She lifted her head briefly, making eye contract with him with a small smirk. She held that eye contact as she pushed down his boxers enough to take him into her mouth.

Ron puffed out his cheeks, his head sinking back into the pillow with a loud groan. He had missed this; not just getting a blow job from her but how comfortable they felt around each other, how easy it was to be completely open with her and how she knew exactly how to make him feel good. She moaned against him and he resisted the urge to thrust his hips up towards her. Despite the fact they'd had sex not even 12 hours ago, he still found his pleasure building far too quickly.

"Hermione…" He groaned warningly. He pulled at her hair as he tried his best to focus on other things to stop him coming too quickly; Dumbledore in greying boxers, the Giant Squid, even his Aunt Muriel but the sensation of her warm mouth on him was almost too much for him to handle.

Despite this, he still let out a moan of complaint as she suddenly pulled away from him. He had been so close. She loved to tease him like this and it drove him crazy. He lifted his head and watched as she expertly removed his boxers and her knickers in two swift movements and crawled back towards his lips. She kissed him so softly, it was almost like she wasn't there as she held him in position and carefully slid onto him, letting out her own loud groan.

Ron immediately sat up, pressing kisses down her neck tenderly, grumbling in frustration as he got to the barrier at the neckline of her nightdress. He reached for the bottom of it and carefully pulled it over her head before giving her a slow, loving kiss. Neither of them felt the need to move their hips, focusing instead on the sensation of electricity and magic coursing between their bodies.

Eventually she pulled away from him and pushed him back down to the bed. Ron laughed, loving when she took control of things. If she had it her way, she'd always be in charge; but he couldn't allow that. The witch needed to learn that they were equal. Before she could even start to twitch her hips, he thrust his hip to meet hers, smirking at her surprised reaction. This was his favourite view of her, curls wild, unbounded pleasure on her face. The early morning sun was bouncing off her skin as she moved on him and he didn't think she could look any more beautiful.

He slid a hand to her chest as she started to move her hips against his, capturing one of her nipples between a finger and his thumb. He grinned as she moaned his name almost desperately and he rolled it harder. It didn't take long before he could tell she was fighting her orgasm. He sat up once more, pushing her body tight to his as he moved his lips to her ear.

"It's okay to let go…"

His voice, low in her ear was enough to push Hermione over the edge. She let him take control and at some point he must have flipped them over as she suddenly was pressed into the bed though she would not be able to pinpoint the moment it happened. She felt him come too as she sought out his lips, kissing him hard and hungrily, as if it were the only thing tethering her to life.

Eventually, she felt him roll off her and she let out a groan of complaint at the loss of contact. He flopped down on the bed next to her and turned his head with a laugh at the noise. She was still fighting to catch her breath, he loved that he could do that to her. He found her hand between their bodies and tangled their fingers together.

"I'll have to remember to do good things more often, if that's how I get rewarded…"

Hermione turned her head towards him with a small smile. "Oh I'll do that again without reason. I don't think I can ever get enough of you…" She laughed breathily. "Honestly, Ron, that was just…"

She struggled to find the words to describe the overwhelming feelings she felt towards him in that moment so instead she leaned in to give him another kiss, almost instantly pushing the kisses deeper again. Ron eagerly reciprocated, although a small thought in his head wondered if he even had it in him to go again straight away. The witch was insatiable. Despite this, he still groaned when they were interrupted by her wand vibrating on her bedside table.

Hermione tore her lips from his with a deep sigh. She untangled their fingers and carefully peeled herself from the sheets as she sat up and reached for her wand.

"I need to go speak to Charles…"

Ron traced a hand up her bare spine, grinning as he felt her muscles respond to him. "You're choosing going to speak to a house-elf over a really lazy, sexy Saturday morning in bed with me?!"

"Yeah…" Hermione turned her head to smirk at him before sliding out of bed. She leaned over him to give him one last kiss. "Why don't you come with me?"

"Can't… Ginny has a weekend off so we're going to play Quidditch up Mum and Dad's…" He rested his hands behind his head, not bothering to cover himself up as he watched her tidy up their discarded clothes. Once she was satisfied the room was tidy enough, she reached into her bedside table and took a measured swig from a potion bottle. "What's that?" Ron frowned slightly.

"Contraception potion…" Hermione raised her eyebrows as she put the bottle away. "I started brewing it once we started dating and I've been taking it since my birthday, just in case."

"Bit presumptuous of you…" Ron couldn't help but grin.

Hermione gave him a small smile. "Well I've learnt from experience that we're a bit rubbish at remembering the charms so this was just easier. As much as I'd love 10 children from you, we're not ready for that yet…" She gave him a small smile. "Can I come watch the Quidditch once I'm done?"

Ron was relieved at the change of conversation. He felt guilty that he was so rubbish at remembering, even though when he'd been with Lavender it was always the first thing he did. There was just something so distracting about Hermione.

"Of course…" He gave her his biggest grin. "I'd love for you to be there! Mum will probably make lunch and then we usually go to the pub for the rest of the afternoon. I'm pretty sure my brothers won't mind you tagging along…"

"I'll try and not feel too hurt that I didn't get invited in the first place…" Hermione frowned teasingly.

"Ah it's not like that 'Mione…" He tried to reach for her arm, but she was already out of his reach. "It's just what we do on Saturdays…"

She grinned teasingly. "That's okay… you're allowed time with your brothers."

Ron furrowed his brows slightly. "Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?" She paused at her bedroom door and glanced back over at him.

"I'm really glad last night happened. And this morning. I just wanted you to know that. Not what happened to Crookshanks, of course. But everything else…" He paused briefly, his heart pounding. He was so close to saying it, but he lost his nerve right at the last moment. "I'm so glad we sorted this out…"

Hermione felt a flicker of sadness as he mentioned Crookshanks again, but she tried her best to push it aside; instead, giving him her biggest, reassuring grin. "Me too, Ron. Why don't you come shower with me and show me just how much you appreciated it?" She gave him a seductive look before sauntering across the hallway to her bathroom.

Ron scrambled out of bed eagerly, he didn't need asking twice.


	14. Charles the House-Elf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione finally gets a chance to quiz Charles the House-elf and is surprised by the amount of information he gives her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My posting schedule is so out of whack so I'm just going to say it's twice a week but those days may change depending on work. We're now in a National Lockdown, so I have more time to write which is good because I'm starting to catch-up with my pre-written chapters. We're around halfway through now, and things are about to get exciting. This is a shorter chapter, but one that needed to take place to download some information for you all. I've padded it out with some fluff to make it more fun! I've also started using Grammarly, so hopefully, that will pick up more of the mistakes as I don't have a beta.

Hermione spent the majority of her morning talking to Charles the house-elf and by the time she'd left the infirmary just before lunchtime, she had a vague idea of where the elves had come from and a good idea of the next steps she'd have to take to work out who was responsible for their miserable state. She was so desperate to start the hunt for the culprit that she almost apparated straight to the Ministry, but she had made plans to see Ron at the Burrow. Remembering her words that he was more important to her than work, she thanked the house-elf for his time before leaving Hogwarts and heading straight to the Weasley family house.

Hermione apparated directly into the boundaries of the Burrow as soon as she got to the end of the long drive that led away from Hogwarts. The game of Quidditch looked to be still in full flow so she turned her back on it and headed straight up to the house, calling a greeting to Molly and Arthur as she stepped through the kitchen door.

"Oh, Hermione love…" Molly stood up from where she had been sat reading the Saturday papers with her husband and made a beeline for the young witch. "Ronald told us about Crookshanks… come here, sweetheart!"

Hermione allowed Molly to wrap her arms around her and pulled her into a motherly hug. She felt extremely guilty; with all the excitement of speaking to Charles and all the distractions Ron had given her over the past 24 hours, she'd all but forgotten about the death of her familiar yesterday. She wiped away the tear that escaped her eye.

"Thank you, Molly. He was such a good cat, really loyal…" She stepped back and gave the matriarch a brave smile.

"Everyone's still out in the field. Why don't you go and make yourself comfortable and I'll bring you a cup of tea and some cake?"

Hermione smiled in thanks and wandered out to the field, transfiguring herself a comfortable camp chair and a blanket out of thin air. Molly baked to comfort her family and she always seemed to know how to make Hermione feel better. She sipped at her tea as she watched the Weasleys play. She was never able to tell who was winning during these pick-up games, but she could hear their laughs and gentle teasing echo across the valley. It looked like a handful of their school friends had joined them; she could spot Seamus, Dean and Angelina up in the air with them.

During a seemingly quiet point in the game, Ron spotted her and stopped protecting his makeshift goal to wave at her. Hermione waved back, laughing as Ginny took the opportunity to score a goal against him. He scowled and turned back to his sister, chasing her around as he called her a cheat. But he was no match for Ginny's speed, especially considering she was on a professional broom while he still flew on one of the family antiques from the broom shed. Their laughter was contagious and sometimes, Hermione wished she enjoyed flying so that she could join in. For now though, she was content to watch and let their infectious fun cheer her up.

Eventually, a noise sounded across the valley and the game was over; although Hermione would not be able to tell you who had won. The group bantered and chased each other back up to the Burrow and the majority of them headed straight into the kitchen for lunch. Molly was always happy to put on a spread for the family and their group of friends and really, they were doing her a favour. She had struggled with how quiet the house had been since the war; with all of her children moving out of the nest, getting married and starting their own families. She preferred it when the house was busy and full of noise.

Hermione got up from her chair as Ron got closer. She spotted his big dopey grin and couldn't help but grin too.

"Hey you…" She wrapped her arms around him as soon as he got to her and pressed a kiss against his lips.

Ron returned her kiss eagerly, forgetting they were still among their friends. He laughed as he pulled away. "You miss me?"

"Terribly…" She kissed him again, but it was brief as they were interrupted by the sound of Ginny clearing her throat.

"If you two can stop being gross, Harry won't come in for lunch until he's heard about the house-elf and I'm hungry but also I'm far too nosey to wait to hear the update from him..."

Hermione rubbed her nose against Ron's and let go of him, transfiguring a chair for each of her friends before settling back in hers. Once they were ready, she pulled her notebook out of her pocket.

"So Charles gave me a lot more information than I was expecting…" She flipped to the right page. "He said he and the other elves lived together in a ramshackle old cottage in Long Buckby, although he wasn't able to give me an address. Betsy looked it up for me in the library; it's a small village just outside of Northampton. He thinks there are still 19 other elves living there, so that brings the total up to 25 – which is the exact number I'm missing from my register. He thinks their owner was a squib as he relied on the elves for their magic, but he was unable to give me a name. He just referred to him as Master…"

Ron scoffed. "That's just like house-elves to call someone who abuses them as Master…"

"Well quite…" Hermione continued after giving Ron a brief smile. "Charles said they lived in squalor and it didn't matter how hard they tried to clean the cottage; they could never get it cleaned. There was years of dirt and grime. They lived all on top of each other and were forced to mate regularly. Every so often, their Master would sell their babies to purebloods who hadn't inherited an elf. Some of them died at his hands when he got carried away with punishing them. It was Charles' idea to try and escape.

"He had lived at a lovely house where he had been treated well, but his master and mistress had died without leaving an heir so he was effectively homeless. He remembers just being taken away one day by the Master, who only had three elves at the time. Apparently, as a young elf, he had visited Hogwarts and he had been impressed with Dumbledore's compassion towards him. When I told him Dumbledore had died, he was quite inconsolable…

"He was comforted by the fact that Hogwarts had been making improvements to the way elves were treated and that he was automatically given refuge without any questions. I told him about the sanctuary I was hoping to set up for them in the grounds of the castle so that they could recover in peace and that I would help them to find work once they were ready.

"Once he'd checked that Hogwarts was safe, he used his telepathy to tell the rest of them it was okay to come. Betsy said she'd heard that the old magic elves possessed the ability to use telepathy, so of course she's excited to find out more about it. He was really worried when only 5 of the 24 followed him to Hogwarts. So I promised him that I would do everything within my power to help save the rest of them…"

Hermione sat back with a huge breath, checking over her notes to make sure she hadn't missed anything. All three of her friends were watching her with open mouths.

"And you discovered all of this in the three hours we've been apart?!" Ron folded his arms across his body, looking incredulous.

"Yep… and although I couldn't get a name for Charles' Master, I bet there aren't very many squibs living in Long Buckby."

Ron looked excited. "I reckon Robards will let us continue to help you. There's a squib register so it should be easy enough to track him down. Maybe we could even go with you when you visit him…"

Harry laughed at Ron's eagerness. He was so keen to finish his training and just get on with being a proper Auror, despite the fact they still have over a year left on the course. "Alright Ron, slow down a bit. Hermione, can you make us a copy of the notes and then we can meet for lunch Monday and put together a plan to approach Robards…."

Hermione laughed as Ron pouted at his best friend. She pulled out her wand and made two copies of her notes, passing one to each of the boys. Harry took his copy and headed back into the house with Ginny, moaning now that he was the hungry one. Ron watched as Hermione vanished their chairs with a flick of her wand, a huge grin on his face.

"What?" She gave Ron an amused look, wandering over to him.

"You're just… bloody brilliant…" He pulled her close to him as soon as she was close enough and stole a kiss. He looped his arms loosely around her waist under her robes, one of his hands finding a way under her jumper to stroke her back softly.

"You've worked so hard to get Charles to trust you and then you manage to get all this information from him. It's practically the whole investigation in one go. You're only at the start of your career too 'Mione. You're going to be bloody unstoppable…"

Hermione leaned back in his arms, smiling fondly. "Well, we still have a long way to go. It would be good though if Robards will let you and Harry work with me because it would be plain weird doing it without out. Plus if we can get the elves rescued by Christmas, I can finish my register in time for my deadline!"

"I'm so proud of you…" Ron carried on stealing kisses from her.

"Well, I couldn't do it without your support…" She returned every kiss between her words, a smile on her face.

Suddenly, Ginny appeared at the door to the kitchen; her arms folded across her chest and her eyebrows raised at them. "Oy you two – seriously, have you been glued together with a sticking charm or something?! Mum said to come in and grab some lunch before all the food is gone and it starts raining! You can snog later, in the privacy of your own homes, where you're not putting any of the rest of us off our food!"

Ron scowled but untangled his arms from around Hermione. He kissed her cheek as he placed his arm around her shoulder, rubbing it softly. "Now, no more talk of work. We're going to eat lunch then spend the rest of the afternoon at the pub. It's time you relaxed a little…"


	15. The Attempted House-Elf Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry, Ron and Hermione visit the village of Long Buckby, with disastrous results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your feedback. This is my first furore into adventure writing with this chapter. I hope you enjoy it x

The day was dark and gloomy and the sky was threatening to rain, echoing the seriousness of the mission facing the trio. The clouds felt they were pressing in, making the village of Long Buckby feel smaller than it already was. Ron cursed as the wind whipped his robes around his feet and pulled them tighter to his body as he waited for his friends. For once, he was early – excited to be allowed out of the training centre for the day and back on an adventure with Harry and Hermione.

It had taken a lot of work to persuade Robards to let them visit the cottage at Long Buckby and they were doing so under the careful watch of Ron's mentor, Senior Auror Perch, who was stood next to Ron; cursing as he filled his pipe up again.

"This better not be a damp squib, Weasley…" The older man took a long draw on his pipe. "I have much better places to be than in the arse end of nowhere, somewhere outside Northampton in the middle of November just because the witch you're shagging seems to think this bloke is illegally breeding house-elves."

Perch's voice was rough; scarred by years of smoking, with a north Yorkshire accent. He had been an Auror for over 30 years and Ron's mentor since he had started on the training course, so Ron knew better than to rise to his moaning. He rolled his eyes and concentrated on keeping the warming charm going and watching the ramshackle cottage across the road from them. There was no way anyone could be living there and he had an awful sinking feeling that Hermione had picked up the wrong tail. Nevertheless, he would not lose faith in her.

"I guess Robards wouldn't allow us to be here if he thought that was a dead-end…"

After her interview with Charles; Ron, Hermione, Betsy and Harry had spent hours in the Auror department trying to work out where he'd come from. Although the house-elf was adamant he was unable to give them an address, he was able to describe in detail the squalor he'd been living in. On top of that, Charles had eventually let slip that the man in charge of them was a squib. Luckily, there weren't that many squibs living in the country and they had to register with the Ministry. After a month's research, with Hermione and Betsy spending a lot of time travelling back and forth to Hogwarts to reinterview Charles, they'd narrowed it down to the house Ron and Perch were standing opposite.

It had just started to rain when Ron heard two small pops that indicated that Hermione and Harry had joined them.

"About bloody time you two. How long does it take to give brief Hermione on basic mission protocols?" Ron frowned at his best friend and girlfriend as he moved further into the bus shelter to give them room to get out of the rain.

Hermione frowned back and checked her watch. "We're a minute early…" She pulled a face at him, grinning as his face melted from a frown and into a smile. All she wanted to do was step closer to him so he could keep her warm, but they had been explicitly warned about keeping things professional, so she stayed the other side of Perch. She didn't want to risk Ron or Harry getting told off by their superiors.

Perch gave the young witch a stern look. "I wasn't sure if Robards was going to agree for you to be here? Did you bring your credentials?"

Robards had been torn between letting Hermione go with them or for Harry or Ron to conduct the interview. Although they didn't think there was a risk with them visiting the cottage, especially because its inhabitant was a squib; it wasn't Ministry protocol.

Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled out a piece of parchment. "The Minister stepped in. I thought it was ludicrous that I wasn't able to conduct an interview about my business and Kingsley agreed. He felt it was more appropriate that I did it; especially considering Dobby's Law was commissioned by him. Quinn would get suspicious if you Aurors just barged in without any real reason to do so…"

She was aware she sounded haughty, but she didn't care. This was her project and there was no way she was allowed Ron, Harry and Perch to do this on her behalf. It was her hard work and her neck on the line if they failed.

Hermione had been so excited about getting back out and working with Ron and Harry in the field, she had barely slept the night before. By 4 am, she had given up and spent the early hours of the morning revisiting her notes and research and ensuring that her Ministry official robes were neat and tidy. If the missing house-elves were there, she wanted to be sure she could claim custody of them. Despite her early start, Hermione's eyes were bright with excitement and she was eager to get started.

Perch raised his eyebrows at Hermione but didn't argue back. He knew the witch would play the Minister trump card. Instead, he pulled his robes tighter around his body and put his pipe away. "Are we ready to go then?"

Without waiting for an answer, he stepped out into the road and down the short path to the ramshackle old house.

Hermione fell into step behind Perch and Harry and next to Ron. As they neared the house, she let out a small gasp in shock. It was barely standing. Tiles were missing from the roof and the walls looked like they were being held up by the ivy that would around the bricks. Some of the windows had holes in them, while the glass was missing out of one or two completely. They could hear the wind howling through the building, adding to the sense of abandonment. The garden was overrun and as soon as they stepped past the gate, she noticed an overwhelming scent of decay.

Ron murmured low under his breath. "There's a firm muggle repelling charm around the house…" He flinched as an alarm sounded within the cottage. "An intruder charm too but that's it…" He flicked his wand and the alarm stopped as soon as it started. "Makes sense; we're in a muggle community and he's not expecting to be found by anyone magical." He kept hold of his wand, not wanting to put it back in its holster it just in case there were any more surprises.

Harry threw his best friend a quick smile. "Thanks mate, that noise was annoying!" He turned back to the front door, watching as Hermione stepped forward and placed three hard knocks on the splintering wood.

From inside the cottage, there was the sound of scuffling and a small squeak. Perch, Harry and Ron instinctively pulled their wands up to shoulder height. Hermione noticed that Ron had angled his body so that she was more protected by him and she too placed her hand in her robe pocket over her wand.

Eventually, the door creaked open enough for a set of beady watery eyes to be revealed. The trio were immediately reminded of Peter Pettigrew. When the owner of the eyes spoke, his voice was nasal and immediately caused shivers to travel down Hermione's spine.

"Yes – how may I help?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "Mr Quinn. My name is Hermione Granger. I'm here on behalf of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and I would like to speak to you about some missing house-elves."

The voice scoffed. "Missing house-elves must be a serious issue if you need to be accompanied by three Ministry Aurors, Ms Granger. Anyway, you must be mistaken. I am a squib. You know perfectly well squibs are not allowed house-elves…"

Perch stepped forward. "Well, then you won't mind letting us in so Miss Granger can have a quick chat with you and then she can cross you off her list and we'll be on our merry way!"

The watery eyes watched them for a few moments. Eventually, the door opened wider, unveiling a greasy looking middle-aged man. He was short and his tatty clothing was stained with food and dirt. He looked like he hadn't washed for a long time and smelt that way too. He was wearing multiple layers to try and fight off the cold wind that rattled through the house. The man held an arm out, welcoming them in.

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Mr Quinn…" She gave the squib a curt nod as she passed him into the house.

Ron and Harry stayed close to her and followed them in. Hermione tried not to get too frustrated by their over-protectiveness; knowing it was their training combined with years of close friendship. Although she could handle herself if anything went wrong, it was nice knowing she was protected as well.

Quinn shut the front door and followed them into the main room of the house. A mouldy looking sofa and armchair sat in front of a fireplace, which thankfully was lit. A ratty blanket indicated that Quinn probably slept on the sofa, although there was a set of stairs in the corner of the room leading to a dark looking upstairs. There was no other furniture in the house, bar a small kitchenette. The place reminded Hermione of Bathilda Bagshot's house in Godric's Hollow, and she drew herself tighter to Ron and Harry as she remembered how badly that visit went.

"Sorry about the state of the house, Miss Granger. If I'd known I was expecting visitors, I would have tidied up. Unfortunately, I am also between food shops so I cannot offer you refreshments…"

"That's fine, Mr Quinn…" Hermione pulled herself away from the Aurors and took a notebook from her pocket. She tentatively sat down on the edge of the armchair, making sure her robe was firmly underneath her so she didn't have to sit on anything disgusting, and started questioning him.

While Quinn was distracted, Ron, Perch and Harry got to work quietly surveying the house. They kept their movements slow and stayed close together as a group. Luckily, the cottage was small and it didn't take them long.

Ron felt his shoulders drop as they found no evidence of what Charles had promised – the remaining 19 house-elves. He let out a heavy sigh, disappointed mostly on Hermione's behalf. At the sound of the sigh, Harry turned his head to look at him. He made eye contact with his best friend, sharing an unspoken message that could only come from years of friendship. That was one of the benefits of being partnered with Harry, it seemed like they always knew what the other wanted without having to say it out loud. Ron watched as Harry turned and gave Hermione the discreet signal they'd practised to let her know there was no evidence downstairs.

Hermione nodded in understanding, trying her hardest to keep her disappointment from her face and quickly started to wrap up her questioning. "Now if you don't mind; my colleagues would like to take a look upstairs…"

Without waiting for permission, the Aurors crossed the small room to the bottom of the staircase.

Perch was there first and placed his foot on the bottom step. There was a quiet clicking noise and then suddenly the room exploded. Fire bloomed in front of Hermione's eyes and she could faintly hear a shielding charm being called out before she was thrown out of her seat and everything went dark.


	16. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the sound of the explosion still reverberating around the dilapidated house, which of the group survive and what else is discovered?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your reactions and feedback from the last chapter. It really kept me happy! :-)

Hermione woke to the sound of rubble and dust settling and an unexplained heat lapping at her feet. She forced her eyes open with a groan and immediately pulled her legs away from the small fire still burning on what used to be the armchair she was sat in. There was a stinging in her leg and on her arm, but she otherwise felt okay. She pushed herself into a sitting position and reached for her wand.

"Augmenti…" A jet of water soon extinguished the fire, leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke. Hermione coughed once and tried her hardest to get her bearings.

"Hermione?"

She could hear Ron, but she couldn't see him from her position on the floor. With what seemed like a lot of energy, she carefully pulled herself onto her feet. She had blood staining her trousers, she thought she may have a cut and the right arm of her robe was singed which would explain the stinging she felt. She felt a surge of panic when she couldn't immediately see him.

"Ron?"

"I'm here…" A pile of rubble shifted and Hermione finally spotted him, lying under a chunk of what used to be the landing. "I can't move…"

She scrambled over to him and fell onto her knees, pushing the dust away from his face so she could see it properly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay… Harry – you alright mate?"

Hermione glanced over to where Harry was standing up, a rush of relief coursing through her body. They were both okay. She returned her gaze to Ron, her eyes wide and looking scared.

Ron was all too familiar with the signs of Hermione's impending panic attacks and although he was the one trapped, he found himself trying to calm her down. "I'm alright sweetheart, I promise… I'm just stuck." He tried to move again, but he felt the weight pinning him to the floor.

"It's just some rubble. I've tried to clear it but it's so heavy…" He could hear the scrambled sound of pieces of concrete rubbing against each other and Hermione groaning with effort but it was no good, the rubble was just too heavy for her.

"Use your magic, Hermione…" He sighed. She had never been good at keeping her cool once she got herself worked up. In any other situation, he would have teased her for her forgetfulness but now wasn't the time or place.

He didn't hear her mutter her charm but suddenly the weight was lifted from his body and he immediately found it easier to breathe.

"Stay still…" Hermione checked him over carefully and when she was satisfied he was okay, she helped him to sit up.

Ron closed his eyes again until the dizziness passed. He felt Hermione sit down next to him with a grunt. "Are you okay? You're not hurt?"

Hermione shook her head before realising his eyes were closed.

"I think I've got a cut on my leg and a burn on my arm and my head is a bit sore. I was thrown from the chair but I wasn't as close to the blast as you and Harry were."

Ron forced his eyes open again to survey the scene. A huge hole had been blasted through the side of the house where the staircase once stood. His ears rang as he watched Harry checking himself over.

"Where's Perch Harry?"

Harry frowned then lifted his lit wand higher. "By the staircase…" Harry started to climb over the remains of the brick wall which were now strewn across the room and threw himself at Perch's still body. He was silent as he concentrated on checking the Senior Auror's vitals. "I've found a pulse, but it's weak. There's a lot of blood and mess. I think he took the full brunt of the explosion. I need to get him to St. Mungo's…" Harry started tearing strips from the bottom of his robes to use as makeshift bandages to staunch the bleeding.

Ron nodded and quickly got to his feet, closing his eyes briefly as he immediately felt dizzy. He took a few deep breaths before climbing over the rubble to get to Harry, Hermione hot on his heels. The three of them worked quickly to prepare Perch's body for transfer.

The sound of muggle sirens started in the distance. Someone from the village must have heard the explosion and called for help. The trio knew they needed to act fast before the authorities turned up.

Hermione suddenly realised the four of them were alone. "Where's Quinn?"

Harry fastened Perch to the stretcher Hermione transfigured out of the rubble. He didn't lift his head from his work. "I saw a house-elf appear and take his hand just as the explosion went off. He must have used it to apparate out of here…" He started to levitate the stretcher. "I tried to grab his foot but he kicked me away before I could get a decent hold on him…"

It was only now that Hermione and Ron noticed that Harry's nose was bleeding and a bruise was starting to bloom under both eyes. By the looks of it, it was broken again. Hermione pointed her wand at him, planning to fix it for him but he pushed it away.

"I'll get it looked at when we get to St. Mungo's. We need to get out of here before the muggles show up…"

Ron surveyed the scene again as Harry and Hermione wasted time arguing over whether he should let her heal him. As he looked up, he noticed countless sets of eyes and ears peering over the side of the hole created by the explosion.

"Uh… guys…" He waited for his friends to turn and look at him before pointing up.

Hermione let out a loud gasp. "They're here!" She started to limp towards Ron, peering up at the elves. One by one, they started to reveal their faces, although they although seemed to be timid and shy. She couldn't even count how many there were as they all piled close together.

"'Mione…" Ron pulled at her good arm to bring her attention back to him. "We need to move."

Hermione tore her eyes away from the elves and looked at Ron. "Okay." She pushed her hair out of her face, a serious business-like look now on her face. "Harry if you take Perch to St. Mungo's then can you go to the Ministry and inform Robards and Kingsley of what happened. I think they'll at least have to send the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee along as well as more Aurors." She waited for Harry to nod his understanding before turning to Ron. "Can you go to Hogwarts and get Hagrid? I know he's still not finished setting up the sanctuary, but I don't see where else we can take them?"

Ron looked reluctant to leave her. "Are you going to be okay here alone?"

"Yes, yes…" She dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

He sighed and kissed her cheek before starting to clear a path through the rubble to help Harry get the stretcher outside. It would be safer than apparating directly from the dilapidated building.

Hermione stepped back into the view of the elves, debating how best to coerce them out of the cottage. Given she needed to work quickly, she decided she needed Betsy's help. The poor house-elf had not been allowed on the mission and was instead waiting back at the Ministry for news. Hermione only needed to say her name once before she appeared immediately.

"Miss Granger… wh… what happened?" The small elf looked overwhelmed at the state of the cottage.

"Betsy, thank you for coming so quickly. We've found the elves but we need to get them out of here before the muggle authorities get here. Can you speak to them?"

The house-elf nodded and looked up at the hole in the ceiling. She took a moment to someone her courage before speaking.

"Hello everyone…" Betsy tried to keep her voice steady, she was proud to be asked to do such an important job for Miss Granger. "My name is Betsy. You is now in a very dangerous situation and you must go with Miss Granger to be safe."

Betsy waited patiently, but none of the elves spoke up. She racked her brains for what she could say to persuade them they were safe, feeling the pressure from the sound of the sirens grown closer. "Me and Miss Granger are working for the Ministry of Magic and we is in charge of house-elf welfare. It is our jobs to make sure you are being safe and looked after. Your friend Charles sent us to you and if you are coming with us, we can find you safe homes…"

The sound of Charles' name stirred something in the elves and they started muttering between themselves. Eventually, an older looking elf apparated down to the room where Hermione and Betsy waited. As she did, a pile of rubble fell from where the staircase once stood.

"Miss Granger, Betsy. I am Heffle. Charles was my friend. The elves have decided to come with you to Hogwarts but we must be able to see Charles to know for sure he is safe."

Hermione nodded her agreement. "My friend has gone ahead to Hogwarts. He will ensure Charles is there to greet you…"

Heffle looked satisfied by her response and looked up at the other elves who were watching them with keen interest. "It is safe. We need to go to Hogwarts. We should do what she says…"

One by one, the elves started to apparate away with short pops. Hermione felt a huge weight fall off her shoulders as she followed Heffle and Betsy through the path Ron cleared. Once she was positive the house was empty, Hermione turned back towards it; using the last of her energy to place protective charms around the house, preventing Quinn from returning to it and stopping the muggles from interfering in the rubble before the Aurors could get to it. The approaching sirens would hopefully just drive straight past, forgetting why they were heading this way in the first place. She felt two small hands take hold of her and she let them apparate her to Hogwarts.

The castle grounds were a flurry of activity. Hermione leaned against a short wall near Hagrid's hut to catch her breath, watching as the half-giant led a small group of students towards the sanctuary. A tug at her hands reminded her that she was still with Heffle and Betsy. She kept hold of them tightly and let them lead her down to everyone else.

Ron was busy helping Madam Pomfrey set up small camp beds inside the sanctuary, but he abandoned his task as he spotted Hermione heading towards them. He pulled her into his arms as soon as she got to him, being careful with both of their injuries as he buried his head in her hair. "You're okay!"

Hermione nodded wearily against his chest. She allowed herself a minute to close her eyes. Now the adrenaline was starting to wear off, she was vaguely aware of how much everything hurt. "Have the elves started showing up?"

"Yeah… Hagrid just pulled the 7th year Care of Magical Creatures students out of their classes and they're starting to check them over. We should go to St. Mungo's…"

"Later…" Hermione reluctantly pulled out of his grip with a slight sigh and moved to help Hagrid. Ron watched her go with a frown, but he knew there'd be no use arguing with her while she had her mind set on helping everyone.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of activity. Hermione and Ron worked with Hagrid, the 7th year students and Madam Pomfrey to work their way around the elves, getting them settled into their beds and checking over their ailments. At some point, Neville and Luna had joined them, but Hermione was so focused on getting the names of every elf and checking on their welfare personally that she didn't get a chance to greet them or thank them for coming to help.

Harry eventually came back from St. Mungo's, his nose fixed but with a grim look on his face. He spotted Ron getting himself a drink and wandered over to him.

"It's not looking great with Perch mate…" Harry sighed and helped himself to a drink. "His injuries are serious and they've already called his family in. They're trying to work out if they can magically reconstruct his leg because it was blown to bits. If he survives, the chances are he won't work again…"

Ron sighed heavily but didn't remove his eyes from Hermione. "Fuck! He was a grumpy bastard but a really good mentor. He was getting close to retirement too…"

Harry followed Ron's gaze and watched Hermione move around the sanctuary. "How's she doing?"

"She's running herself into the ground trying to be a fucking superhero…" Ron rolled his eyes and finally tore his gaze away from his girlfriend to look at Harry. "She needs to be checked over properly; her leg was bleeding and she's burnt her right arm so I had to force her to stand still to get some dittany on her. She won't stop until she's spoken to every one of those bloody house-elves personally, despite the army of helpers that have turned up…" He sighed and leaned against the table.

"Come on then…" Harry nudged Ron with his shoulder. "Let's go help out and then we can get you both to St. Mungo's to be checked over…" Harry shrugged off his robes and headed over to Hagrid to see where he could be useful.

The sun was setting over the castle as Hermione helped the last house-elf to bed. The sanctuary had been warmed for the night and a mixture of students and ministry workers were getting ready to take the night shift. Harry had already left to check on Perch, so Ron wandered over to Hermione slowly. Every part of his body ached and he was pretty sure he'd broken a couple of ribs.

Hermione looked up and gave him a weary smile. She finished her conversation with Hagrid and limped across to Ron. "I think I might stay here tonight, help Hagrid look after the elves. Did you know there's way more than the 19 I was expecting? My department head neglected to tell me that elves don't get added to the counter until they've matured and are starting working. Have you seen some of the babies? I've never seen a baby house-elf before, they're adorable!"

Ron watched her with his eyebrows raised, waiting for her to finish rambling; a sure-fire sign she was tired. "You're not staying here tonight 'Mione. We're done for the day. We are going to St. Mungo's to be checked over properly and then I'm taking you to Mum's for a proper meal. You look exhausted and I feel bloody exhausted. Those elves are in really good hands, there's literally nothing else you can do for them now…"

Hermione sighed, but she knew he was right. She was so tired; she could probably fall asleep where she was standing. This was one of the reasons why she needed Ron; she was very well known for running herself ragged with work, always trying to push herself and her limits in the pursuit of knowledge. Even back when she had the time turner, Ron had been one of the first to notice how exhausted she was, although he didn't exactly handle it properly. It was frustrating at times, but mostly because she always had to admit he was right, which often made him act like a smug prat.

"Fine…" She scowled up at him as he let out a soft chuckle.

"Come on. Do as you're told and I'll let you spend the night at mine!" He wrapped both arms around her, pressing a soft kiss against the top of her head apparating them both carefully to St. Mungo's.


	17. Senior Auror Perch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron has worries about continuing his career as an Auror in the aftermath of the explosion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is the start of NaNoWriMo and it's my first year taking part. I'm using it as motivation to finish writing Begin Again and add as much detail as possible. I'm off to a good start with this chapter ;-) I hope you enjoy it, we needed a bit of Ron/Hermione time after the drama of the last two episodes.

The feel of Ron shifting in bed next to her for what felt like the hundredth time was enough to pull Hermione from her light sleep. She forced her eyes open and glanced wearily at the clock on the bedside table. It was just before 3 am. She sighed and turned in the bed carefully to face him. He was lying on his back, his eyes wide open and a look of concentration on his face.

She watched him thoughtfully, giving him a few moments alone to deal with whatever was going through his head. She tried her best to ignore the dull ache of pain in her leg, arms and muscles. She felt as if she'd done a hundred rounds with Grawp. The healer at St. Mungo's had sent her home with a vial of the essence of dittany and she knew she'd have to apply more before she'd be able to get back to sleep again tonight. Ron had broken a couple of ribs, but it was nothing a couple of rounds of skele-gro couldn't fix. They were both otherwise unharmed, apart from the cuts and bruises that adorned both their bodies. They knew they were lucky; when they had left the hospital, the healers were still struggling to rebuild Perch's leg and they hadn't been optimistic that he would last the night. If they hadn't been so exhausted, Ron probably would have tried to stay.

They had gone from the hospital to the Burrow to be fed and to assure Molly that they were okay. The matriarch had pressed two bottles of dreamless sleep into Hermione's hand as they had left around midnight, but once they were back at Ron's flat they had decided not to take it. Both of them wanted to be able to wake up should they need each other. It wasn't as if they were strangers to nightmares now anyway.

Hermione let out a louder sigh in the hope of letting Ron know she was awake if he needed her.

"I didn't mean to wake you up…" Ron's voice was quiet and heavy with sleep.

"I wasn't asleep, not really. Maybe we should have taken the potion…"

Ron let out a sad, heavy sigh and Hermione felt like it would break her heart. She pushed the duvet from her body, ignoring the chill in the early morning winter air and carefully closed the small gap sleep had driven between them. Every movement caused her muscles to cry out in pain but she ignored it as she moved across the bed to him. Carefully, she curled up to his side, nestling her head against his neck and pressing her body tight to his.

"What's wrong?" She pressed a kiss where his neck met his collarbone, being careful to avoid a particularly angry looking cut.

"It's just yesterday. It keeps on replaying in my head. I've been trying to work out what went wrong, what I could have done to stop it going so horribly wrong. I've ruined Perch's career, even if he survives. I should have known something was wrong; Quinn was far too eager to let us into the house. I keep on getting praised for my instincts in training, but that's all bullshit isn't it?"

Hermione stretched an arm carefully over his stomach, rubbing his skin softly in the hope of giving him some vague sort of comfort. "There was no way you could have expected a muggle bomb. Robards will say the same. It was just Quinn being sneaky. Probably the only way he could defend himself…"

"Stupid fucking Squib…" Ron mumbled it quietly, but Hermione still heard him. She sighed against his skin, closing her eyes. He sounded like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and she hated that she couldn't do anything to help him relieve it. She lay there just holding him, listening to the rhythm of their breaths for a while. His breathing changed and for a moment, she thought he had fallen back to sleep, but then he spoke again.

"It could have been me. Perch was only a few steps in front of me. I wanted to act first; I was so keen to take charge of the mission so I can help you with your work…" Ron ran a hand over his face. He was torturing himself; Hermione could tell. He always did this when something happened that he couldn't control.

"You can't think like that sweetheart. The only person to blame for Perch's condition is Quinn. I know what you're like; you won't rest now until you've captured Quinn. And you'll do it because you're a bloody great Auror. You were pivotal in planning out that mission and we met its purpose. It was only supposed to be a quick interview and for us to scope out the cottage. None of us expected it to go the way it did."

"I still should have been prepared for the worst…" Ron sniffed and Hermione wondered if he was crying. She tightened her grip on him, her muscles giving another cry of pain. That didn't matter right now, only that she did her best to make Ron feel better the way he'd helped her over the past few months.

"You're such a good Auror, Ron…" Hermione repeated like a mantra. "I could feel how you had positioned yourself so I was protected. I felt so safe there with the three of you and I know you tried to cast a shield charm over me as the bomb went off. Please stop beating yourself up about Perch. You really need to rest…"

"Maybe I'm not cut out to be an Auror…" Ron rolled away from her suddenly, presenting her with his back so she couldn't see just how upset he really was.

"Come on Ron…" Hermione automatically adjusted her position, cuddling up to his back to spoon him; despite her petite frame being ten times smaller than him. She felt a sob rack his body and she bit her lip, trying her hardest not to cry out loud too. She pressed a kiss to the base of his neck.

"I mean it, Hermione. Maybe I'm not meant to be an Auror. Maybe I can't cope with going out and putting my bloody life in danger all the time. I've had enough of it and it's unfair to put all the stress and worry of my working a dangerous job on you…"

Hermione sighed and rested her head against the back of his neck. "I'm always going to worry about you, no matter what job you're doing; but I'm not going to lie and say that's not heightened because of the career you've chosen. Why do you think I send you so many internal memos during the day?!" Ron gave a small laugh, so she pressed a kiss against his skin again. "It sounds silly given the perils we've already lived through and survived but I do still worry about you. I fear that one day an owl will come to me with bad news about you."

She raised a hand to stroke the back of his hair, pausing to steady her voice. She could feel her bottom lip start to tremble, but it wouldn't do for her to cry right now. It was her turn to comfort him.

"You were so close to that blast; my first fear when I woke up was that you were gravely injured. But we live in a magical world – it's a part of our everyday lives. Just living in our community is a massive risk. Just look at everything we got up to in school, a place where we were supposed to be safe. Our reading list included a book that tried to attack us every time we opened it and never mind all the creatures and evil we came across…"

Hermione smiled softly as Ron let out another laugh, although it was muted from where he had his head buried in his pillow.

"If you don't want to be an Auror, then that's okay. I promise that I will support you no matter what you choose to do with your life, as long as you talk to me about it first. You can even be a stay at home dad for those millions of children we're having, and our pet dog and I'll focus on taking over the world for us. But please don't use what happened yesterday as an excuse. Especially not on only a couple of hours sleep. You will regret it…"

Ron let out a sigh and carefully rolled over in her arms, burying his head under her chin. "I guess you're right…"

Hermione pressed a kiss into his hair. "You know I'm right… now come on, let's try and get some sleep, yeah?" She moved onto her back, letting out a soft sigh as she sunk into Ron's comfortable, old mattress. It felt like such a relief on her sore limbs. Ron moved with her, his head still nestled under her chin and the whole weight of his body against her side.

"You always know the right things to say, Hermione…" His words slowed down as sleep started to steal him back away from her. "I love you so much…" Within a moment, he let out a rolling snore.

Hermione smiled down at him and pulled her arms closer around him. She closed her eyes too. "I love you too…" She spoke softly so as not to wake him up again. Eventually, she drifted into a much deeper sleep, without help from the dreamless sleep or the dittany.

No less than 12 hours later, Ron found himself walking a grey corridor in St. Mungo's following a healer in a blue set of robes. He was aware of Harry next to him; his best friend had a cut that matched Hermione's on his right leg. He too was walking with a small limp, though it was a lot less pronounced than it was the night before.

The pair had been summoned to the hospital by an early owl and Ron couldn't help but think the worst had happened. He hadn't wanted to get out of bed; Hermione had promised him they could spend the day lazing around, which was unlike her. They'd been signed off work for the day to have chance to recover, so it must have been important for them to be summoned.

Ron threw Harry a concerned look as the Healer stopped in front of a grey door and knocked once before opening it. She stood aside and let the two trainee Aurors step into the room.

"You can't stay long; Mr Perch needs his rest. Try not to overexcite him…"

Ron was relieved to see the Senior Auror sat up in bed. He looked pale and he was wired up to various magical contraptions that seemed to be measuring his vital stats but he was awake. He gestured for the two trainees to step in and the healer shut the door behind them.

"Weasley, Potter… I wanted to check for myself that you were both okay after yesterday…"

Ron shrugged and eased himself into one of the empty chairs in the room. His ribs ached like hell and he felt as if he'd been hit by the Knight Bus and a thousand bludgers all in one go. He hated to admit it, but Harry had been right all those years ago; fixing bones was not a pleasant experience.

"I've felt better, but it's nothing compared to you. Just a couple of broken ribs…" Ron trained his eyes to stay on Perch's face and not drift down to the bottom end of the bed where the blanket wasn't doing a good job of hiding where Perch's leg was so obviously missing.

"You can look at it Weasley; it'll still be missing. There was no way they could save it in the end so they cut it off…"

"That's one more step to being Mad-Eye Moody, Perch…" Luckily, Harry was better at dealing with this sort of thing. His eyes were bruised from yesterday's broken nose but he seemed to be less cut up than Ron and Hermione.

Perch smiled. He'd spent some years working with the late Auror.

"Yeah well, when I start shouting 'constant vigilance' you can get me put down!"

Harry sat down next to Ron.

"So what's next for you Perch?"

It was Senior Auror's turn to shrug. "I'm not thinking much past my recovery at the moment. I guess I'll get a prosthetic leg and we'll see how it goes from there. Probably a desk job, I'm not quite ready to call things a day just yet…"

"That's good. It'll be strange if you weren't around to nag us for getting things wrong…" Harry gave him a small smile, though it wasn't very convincing.

"Nah, I don't think you're quite ready for that yet. I just wanted to get your word that you'll do everything you can to catch the bastard and that you'll keep me updated with the investigation. He deserves to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban."

Ron sat up straight. He knew then he'd remain an Auror, at least long enough to capture Quinn. He would wait to decide on the rest of his career until after then.

Perch's eyes started to droop, so Ron signalled to Harry that they should go. They stood up carefully, both of them wincing with their own pain.

"Before you both go, I have just one more word of advice. When you get back into work tomorrow; Robards will probably read you the riot act. It was my responsibility and we did not check for booby traps. You'll know for next time. It's best just to smile and take it and learn. And get your bloody paperwork done so you don't piss him off anymore…" The Senior Auror closed his eyes. "When you visit next Weasley, you should bring me some of your mum's cakes. That'll help me feel better…"

Ron smiled. "Right-o. Try not to get into too much trouble." He rested his hand on his mentor's shoulder before following Harry out of the room.

The pair waited until they were back in the hospital reception before speaking again. Ron let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "When I got the owl this morning, I thought that was it. I really thought we were coming to say our last goodbyes…"

Harry leaned against the wall next to a water cooler. "I know… I almost didn't come…" He looked slightly ashamed. "We're going to do everything we can to catch Quinn, right?"

Ron felt a red mist cloud over his eyes; even the sound of the Squib's name made him angry now. "Yeah – Robards has to let us see the case through, even if we have to be supervised by five other Aurors. For Quinn's sake if nothing else…"

Harry nodded and rubbed the spot above his eye where his lightning bolt scar was starting to fade.

It didn't bother him anymore, and it was mostly just a force of habit. "I'm going to head home; Ginny will be made if she gets back from training and I'm not on the sofa where she left me…" He grimaced, but his eyes showed he was only playing.

"Yeah alright… I need to meet Hermione back at Primrose cottage; we're going to stay there for the rest of the week 'cos it's closer to mum and dad's. And tidier… and there's more food there…" Ron gave Harry a more genuine smile. "See you tomorrow, I guess?"

"Yeah see you for our morning meeting with Robards… bye mate…" Harry stepped into the fireplace and took the Floo network home. Ron decided to leave by the muggle exit instead.

Ron eventually apparated back to Hermione's cottage not even half an hour later. The smell of roast dinner filled the small house and he smiled. Hermione had been working hard on improving her cooking skills and she could almost rival Molly now. He followed his nose and smiled as he watched her limp around the kitchen.

"You're supposed to be resting 'Mione. We only moved over here so that you could have access to your stuff…"

Hermione turned slowly, smiling at the sight that greeted her. Ron held out a small bunch of flowers. She headed over to him and took the bouquet from him with a kiss. "What's this for?"

Ron shrugged slightly. "It's what you're supposed to do when your girlfriend is poorly. And I guess because I love you…"

Hermione grinned. "You meant it last night then?" She teased briefly as he nodded, a blush creeping up to his ears. "I love you too…" She gave him another kiss then accio'd a vase and filled it with water before starting to arrange the flowers. "How's Perch?"

"He's going to be okay…" He felt the weight he didn't even know was on his shoulders disappear. He felt like he had a better outlook now on his career and what happened yesterday. "He's lost his leg, but his spirit doesn't seem to be too broken…"

"That's really good news Ron…" She set the vase on her kitchen table and leaned against a unit. "You feeling a bit better about things now?"

"Yeah…. It's going to be okay. Just need to survive the bollocking we'll get from Robards tomorrow. Harry and I promised Perch we'll find Quinn and put him into Azkaban…"

"Good! I knew you would. You know I'll do what I can to help…"

"Yeah but you have Dobby's law to focus on too 'Mione…" Ron smiled anyway; he could tell from her steely look that she meant it. It felt so good to have her on his side.


	18. The Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron and Harry face the wrath of Head Auror Robard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of an in-betweeny chapter today. Sorry, it's not much. There's some lovely fluffy stuff coming up again soon, once I've written them. Don't forget to leave me comments and feedback if you enjoyed this (or even if you didn't). I'm missing the interaction I get over at ffn (which is well and truly forked at the moment).
> 
> Thank you for reading! :-) xxx

Ron got his wish and spent the rest of the evening lounging around Primrose Cottage with Hermione. It passed quickly and despite his best attempts to delay the inevitable, the working day soon came around. At 9 o'clock on the dot, Ron and Harry found themselves stood outside Robard's office.

Harry turned his head and grimaced at Ron. "Just remember what Perch said yesterday. Smile and take it and learn." Harry suddenly developed a thick North Yorkshire accent. "And get your bloody paperwork done…"

Ron laughed and lifted his hand, knocking twice on the door. His nerve started to fade with every second the Head Auror made them wait and it felt like a whole lifetime had passed before they heard the short command for them to enter the office. He gulped hard and slowly pushed open the door, letting Harry enter before him.

Robards lifted his head from the file he was reading. He raised his eyebrows as he watched the two trainee Aurors enter his office. They both looked terrified and for a moment he wondered if this was the same duo that had successfully led the Battle of Hogwarts and defeated Lord Voldemort. The door shut, but the two wizards floated nearby.

"Take a seat, will you…" He watched as the two of them nervously shuffled between the visitor seats. They really were wound tight. Eventually, they decided who was going to sit where and the Potter boy immediately started fiddling with the edge of his robes as soon as his backside made contact with the wooden chair. Robards fought back the urge to laugh – he really could have fun with this pair.

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were top of all their classes. They were studious, good at developing mission plans and performed well in all their physical exams. He knew they were going to make good Aurors once they passed the academy and he was looking forward to seeing their careers progress.

He took a sip of his cup of tea then started his tirade. Although he knew the two trainees weren't really to blame with how the house-elf mission had gone – they were under the supervision of Senior Auror Perch – he still needed them to be aware of the mistakes they had made.

His speech lasted over 15 minutes and he relished every minute of it. Around the halfway point, he got up and started pacing the small space behind his desk, just to emphasise his frustrations. It was a favourite habit of his and he'd already had the carpet replaced twice before and the current one was starting to look a little threadbare.

"Ultimately, the three of you forgot one of the first rules we teach you when you join the Auror Academy and because of your idiocy, my best Senior Auror has a missing leg. You could have put those house-elves lives at risk; you could have put Miss Granger's life at risk. What's the rule you forgot?!"

He glared at the trainees, willing one of them to be brave enough to speak up. They glanced at each other nervously; an unspoken message being shared. Their close bond was what made them such a good team. They seemed to always know what the other was thinking. Eventually, it was Potter that spoke up.

"We should always check the environment. Check once, check twice, check again. Don't walk into a situation blind…"

"Exactly!" Robards thumped his fist down on his desk to emphasise his point, biting back a grin as they both jumped a mile. "When you get down to the training centre, you're to remind yourselves of the basic principles of being an Auror. Smithson will be testing you after lunch. But don't think that's your only punishment – Miss Granger will not be allowed out on any more of your missions. Don't even think about asking me! If her department needs an Auror presence on official ministry duties, I will arrange for someone to accompany her. In fact, if I even see her in the department; I will punish the two of you severely. Do I make myself clear?" He waited for both of them to nod, which they did eagerly. He used the pause in his warning to take his seat at his desk again. "I want your paperwork on my desk by the end of next week and I don't want to see your faces for the rest of the day. Now go before I withdraw other privileges!"

Robards watched the trainee Aurors leave his office, pleased with the impression he made on them. He knew this wouldn't be the last time he'd have to have stern words with them. They had been recommended for the Auror Training Academy by Minerva McGonagall, a close friend of his, who had also sent him a warning that the two wizards had a penchant for getting into trouble. But that's how he knew they'd be good Aurors. With a small smile, he picked up the file and leaned back in his desk chair, carrying on with his reading as if nothing had happened.

Elsewhere in the Ministry Hermione was having a similar meeting with the Minister of Magic, although hers was going a lot better.

"So you see… it wasn't really anyone's fault that there was an explosion. The house was run down, he was clearly a squib and it was just a scoping mission anyway. We found the house-elves, which is the important part and Perch will recover eventually…" Hermione played with her quill nervously.

"I see…" Kingsley pressed his fingers together. "You've done well to locate the missing house-elves but the way I see it, your part in all of this is over. Robards has put finding Quinn and the last elf at the top of his priority list, but you are not to get involved. You cannot afford to get distracted, especially with the launch of the new law so close. I want you to concentrate on updating the counter, your register and finalising all the tracking charms to ensure that when the law does go live, you are prepared for it to be implemented properly."

"Yes Minister, of course." Hermione nodded in agreement. "I'll get my report filed today."

"Thank you, Hermione. Robards has some of his own terms too, I'm afraid. He has banned you from working with Ron and Harry on any of their missions. If you need Auror assistance, you're to speak to him directly. I'm sure the three of you will find a way around this, but that's not for me to question or comment on…" The minister smiled, a small twinkle in his eye. "Keep your head low for a week or so."

"Thank you, Kingsley…"

"I think we're done here for today. Thank you, Miss Granger, you are dismissed."

Hermione stood up with a small smile and left the office. She knew her meeting could have gone a lot worse and her thoughts immediately went to Ron and how his meeting had gone. Automatically, her feet started drifting towards the elevators. She fully intended to go and visit him and Harry until she remembered Shacklebolt's warning. With a heavy sigh, she turned on her heel and made her way to her desk, making a mental note to send him an internal memo as soon as she got there.

\---

"But Hermione – could you not just help me a little bit with the paperwork? I'm supposed to be the love of your life, the man of your dreams – don't you want to make my life easier?!"

Hermione raised her eyebrows, a small scowl on her face. Ron had been whinging about his looming deadline for his report about the explosion in Long Buckby for days now. He truly detested having to write reports and often struggled with the words. For the past ten minutes, since he'd found her hiding spot deep in the Ministry library, he'd been complaining about how unfair it was that he had to file a report.

Since her meeting with Kingsley, she had been working hard to try and identify a way to automatically notify the Ministry when a house-elf was being abused or if they were experiencing difficulties but so far, she hadn't been successful. Luckily, updating the counter in her office had been a lot easier and she had hoped to harness the same magic but for some reason, it just hadn't worked.

Her slow process on the theory behind the magic had been making her feel frustrated and any interruptions to her research, even from the love of her life, was only proving to be a source of irritation.

Hermione watched Ron wearily, wondering whether to deploy her usual method of nagging him into doing his work, just like when they'd been in school or whether she'd get away with pleading for him to just leave her alone. She knew it sounded mean, but he was usually in tune with when she needed space unless he had his own concerns.

"We've been back in the office for over a week now Ron. You're already on thin ice with Robards. Why have you not finished it?" She closed the book she was reading carefully and resisted the urge to cross her arms across her chest.

"You know how much I hate paperwork 'Mione…" Ron pulled out the empty chair opposite her and flopped down into it. He gave her what he thought was his cutest pout, but it didn't work.

Hermione bit her tongue, a scolding retort trying its hardest to escape her mouth. Although the occasions were rare now, he still liked to act like a petulant child; especially when he wasn't getting his own way and those moments made her wonder if she was his girlfriend or his mother.

"It's a vital part of your job. You get paid to do it and you're going to have to get used to it eventually. Just… think of it as another training opportunity…"

Ron sighed. "I guess you're right. Robards has threatened to confiscate my ball ticket from me if I don't turn it in by the end of the week. Like he can stop me from going to my own Christmas party…" His nervous laugh showed he wasn't as confident as he sounded.

The Auror Office threw a yearly ball for all its employees and their partners. They put on an elaborate feast that could rival Christmas dinner at Hogwarts as well as a free bar. Both Hermione and Ron had been looking forward to it since he had come home with the tickets last week, especially as this would be the first year she could attend. Hermione was finally looking forward to having an official event she could turn up to as Ron's date, but she was also planning on using it as an opportunity to network and spread the word about Dobby's Law.

"Your deadline is still four days away Ron. It's only Monday. You can do it! You just have to write down what happened. And before you ask, you can't copy mine. I've already turned it in and anyway, your perspective of the event is going to be completely different to mine. I think Robards would figure it out!"

"I wasn't going to ask anyway…" Ron frowned at Hermione, swinging his chair back on two legs. "You're no fun…"

"That's not what you said last night…" Hermione gave him a pointed look then returned to her book, hoping he'd take the hint and leave her in peace. However, she couldn't help but let a small smile creep across her face.

Ron watched her with a fond smile as he remembered what they'd gotten up to last night. He had finished his last dose of skele-gro and they had celebrated most of the night.

The pair had been spending an increasing amount of time together; there was barely an evening where they were apart. Although neither of them felt ready enough to broach the subject of moving in together, they'd slowly started moving in a supply of their toiletries and other essentials to each other's places. They'd never discussed it, but they were both happy with this arrangement – having their own space was useful, should they ever need it.

"Have you bought your dress for the ball yet?!" He picked at the table edge.

Hermione sighed. She knew Ron was trying his hardest to extend the conversation so that he could avoid going back to his desk and doing some actual work. She closed her book again and made a show of putting it down on the table in front of her before speaking.

"No, not yet. Ginny doesn't have a game this week so we'll probably head into London. We've both decided to wear something muggle rather than dress robes." She regarded Ron for a moment. "Although it'll be a shame you won't get to see it. You know, when you don't get your paperwork turned in and you have your ticket taken from you. I'll have to third-wheel with Ginny and Harry…" She almost added that she might write to Viktor to see if he was available, but she bit the words back. She knew how much it would hurt Ron to bring the Bulgarian Quidditch star up. No matter how frustrated she was, she didn't want to do that to him.

Ron matched Hermione's sigh. "Fine… I'll go and finish my report. If I get it handed in, will you show me tonight on your laptop what you're thinking of buying?"

Hermione shook her head, a smile on her face as she remembered the first day she showed him how to use an online shopping website and how amazed he had been when it arrived at the cottage the next day. You would think the boy hadn't spent all his life living among magic.

"Absolutely not, but I'm sure I can find some way to treat you if you get your paperwork done…" She picked up her book once more, hoping the third time was a charm.

"Alright…" He let his chair swing back onto all four feet and got up, moving around the table to get closer to her. "Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?" This time, she didn't lift her eyes from her book.

"I love you…" Ron pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll see you later…"

Hermione waited until he was away from her table before lifting her head, watching him with a small smile as he wandered away slowly, running his fingers over every empty desk in his path as he moved.

When Ron turned up at Primrose Cottage later that day, he could hear Hermione having a heated discussion with someone in her study. He dumped his bag in its usual spot next to the coat stand and toed off his shoes before slowly heading upstairs. He rounded the corner into the room just in time to witness her slamming down the lid of her small laptop. She only used it for the internet and talking to her parents over Skip, or whatever it was called, so for her to use such an abrupt way of terminating the conversation probably meant it wasn't good news.

"Hey, sweetheart. Are you okay?" He draped himself casually against the doorframe, his hands shoved into his pockets.

Hermione swung around quickly in her desk chair, looking startled. "Oh hey, I didn't hear you come in!" She wiped a finger quickly under each eye before getting up. She closed the gap between them at speed, sliding her arms around his waist and cuddling into him.

"You were too busy chatting away. How are Jean and Malcolm?" He pulled his hands out of his pockets and wrapped one around Hermione's small frame. The other slid up her back and started playing with the end of her braid. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"They're fine…" Her voice was muffled by his t-shirt. "They are thinking of opening another surgery in the next village over. They'll be busy getting everything set up, so they've decided not to book a flight home for Christmas." She let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes.

"Oh sweetheart, you were hoping to host them here for Christmas…"

"Yeah… they've not even seen the cottage yet and I really want the three of you to get to know each other better. I don't know what to do with myself for Christmas now!"

"Well, I reckon I can solve that problem. Mum is finally up to throwing a big family bash. She's been pestering me for weeks to let her know if we're coming or not. Everyone else will be there – apparently, even Percy is bringing someone!"

Hermione lifted her head up from under his chest, looking a bit more cheerful. "A proper Weasley Christmas?"

"Yeah! If you fancy it, we can do Christmas Eve and Boxing Day there too? We can stay in my old room. I know you live close and it's not exactly hard work to apparate over, but I think it will really add to your experience!"

"That sounds perfect. Thank you, Ron!"

"You're welcome! I don't think we would have heard the end of it if we had stayed here alone or with your parents!" Ron pressed a kiss against Hermione's lips then started to unwrap his arms from around her. He took her hand, pulling her away from her study.

"Where are you taking me?" Hermione followed him with a smile.

"I reckon we should order takeaway. I'm starving and I can't be bothered to wait for either of us to cook…" He tightened his grip on her hand. "I did as I was told and turned in my report today – and you promised me a treat!"

"That I did…" Hermione smiled and followed him down the stairs eagerly. "Come on then Weasley, let's see what we can do for you!"


	19. The Christmas Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and Ron finally get to attend a ball together and Hermione takes full advantage of the free champagne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas is a coming (not in real life, unfortunately) so I hope you're prepared for a whole raft of fluff filled content over the next few chapters! ;) Again, thank you so much for your comments - I really do appreciate them.
> 
> A huge thanks goes to jalapeno_eye_popper who really helped me to work out this chapter! :-)

If Ron had been asked what his greatest achievements were up to this point in his life, he wouldn't have to think long to give you his list; hearing the whole school (minus the Slytherins obviously) singing "Weasley is our King", facing his darkest fears so that he could destroy the Horcrux locket and consistently coming top of his class at the Auror Training Academy. But now he had a new entry – turning up at the Christmas Ball with Hermione Granger holding his hand.

The witch had outdone herself; she was wearing a black, strapless prom dress. It was simple in design, but she'd somehow managed to enchant the beading around the waistline to radiate down the skirt like falling stars. Her hair was twisted into an intricate knot, with a few tendrils of curls framing her face. Although she could have turned up in a bin bag with greasy hair and she still would have looked incredible to Ron.

They stepped into the large ballroom, another secret hidden deep inside the Ministry walls, together. The place was almost unrecognisable. Flickering fairy lights hung from the ceiling, making it look like a thousand stars were lighting the room. Great traditional garlands strung with holly and mistletoe were draped over every available surface and a giant Christmas tree watched over the party from the corner next to a small stage.

The room even smelt like Christmas; the earthy smell of pine trees combined with the delicious scent of cinnamon and mulled wine. The atmosphere immediately put Hermione and Ron in a festive mood.

A Ministry worker, dressed in traditional coat and tails with a holly buttonhole on his left breast, greeted them at the entrance to the room. He checked the invite Ron offered and nodded with a smile. "Mr Weasley plus one… you are sat at table 4. Have a lovely night and Merry Christmas!" The pair were pointed in the direction of a round table, where Harry and Ginny were already sat waving at them.

"Looks like they beat us to it…" Ron grinned and squeezed Hermione's hand before carefully leading her towards the table, weaving their way around other Ministry workers, guests and tables. Although Hermione was used to magic, she couldn't help but feel her breath being stolen away from her as she watched the table covers change colour in time with the music radiating across the room, which was currently coming from a set of string instruments playing traditional Christmas Carols by themselves. It wasn't as garish as she expected, the colours were muted silvers, golds and reds.

"Hey, you two…" Hermione reluctantly let go of Ron to hug Harry first then moved to Ginny as the couple stood up to greet them. "You look beautiful!"

"Thanks!" Harry grinned and kissed his best friend's cheek. "My wife doesn't look too bad either, don't you think?"

Hermione shot him a withering look, but a smile danced across her face despite it. She had a feeling this was going to be a great night. She started to lower herself into the chair next to Ginny's but was distracted at the sight of Madam Radford on the opposite side of the room. She straightened and pushed her small clutch purse towards Ron.

"I'll be back soon, I promise…" With a quick kiss, she turned on her heel and headed towards the Wizengamot member, an excited bounce in her step.

Ron watched her go, an incredulous look on his face. He slumped into a chair at the table.

"Cheer up Ron…" Harry pushed a flute of champagne towards his brother-in-law. "These are self-filling. Just tap it once with your wand and you have unlimited drinks all night."

"Perfect!" Ron tore his eyes away from his girlfriend, who was now chatting animatedly to a stern-looking woman in a plum two-piece and took a long sip from his glass. He could have predicted this would happen; Hermione would not miss out on an opportunity to discuss work in a room full of important people. He let out a short sigh and tried his best to rearrange his face into a smile as Neville and Hannah took their seats opposite them.

"Hi, both…" He tipped his glass towards them then took another swig. "Nev said he wasn't sure you'd be able to make it tonight Hannah.."

"Well the few days before Christmas is usually our busy time. I've left the pub in the hands of Tom; we'll see by the end of the night what state it's in…" Hannah smiled wryly and linked her fingers with Neville's. "But for now, we're here to party!"

"I will drink to that…" Ron joined his friends in a round of clinking their glasses together. He let himself get distracted by Ginny striking up a conversation about the latest Quidditch scores; getting into a heated debate with his sister on who was going to come top of the league this year.

He drained his second glass of champagne as the chatter soon turned to everyone's Christmas plans. Letting Ginny regale Hannah and Neville with funny stories about Christmas at the Burrow, he sat back in his seat, searching the room for Hermione. She was still talking away to the woman in the plum suit but another wizard had now joined them. Hermione was gesticulating wildly, obviously caught up in a passionate discussion about something or other. He felt a small surge of annoyance – they were supposed to be there together after all.

He didn't mind her talking to people about her work, but she could have taken him with her; introduced him to her colleagues like he planned to do with her. He felt his jaw set as he contemplated heading over there to interrupt them, but he didn't want to embarrass her. From what he could remember, the woman Hermione was talking to was an important pawn in the success of Dobby's Law and she had probably introduced Hermione to someone just as equally important. He checked his watch with another sigh; he'd give her 5 more minutes before considering intervening.

The end of Hermione's conversation came naturally to an end. Clare Radford pressed a napkin into Hermione's hand and took the opportunity to give her a brief hug. "You've done wonders on this law, Hermione – you've even converted me on to your side, and I was one of your biggest critics originally. This should help you get the right people on board. Have a lovely night, and Merry Christmas!"

Hermione helped herself to a glass of champagne from a passing waiter as she watched Madam Radford and Mr Summers move on to speak to other people. She unfolded the napkin, smiling at the hand-scrawled seating plan. Small stars indicated the vital workers Hemione needed to talk to about her law. She folded it back up carefully and turned to survey the party. Her eyes passed table 4 and lingered on Ron, immediately feeling a twinge of guilt. He wasn't looking very happy and she worried if he thought she was going back on her word to prioritise him over her work. She took a sip of her champagne, contemplating him for a moment.

Being at the party with him tonight made her feel so proud, even if it had meant being referred to as his plus one. Luckily, in the years since the Yule Ball, he'd gotten rid of the frilly dress robes and instead chosen a set of robes that were an emerald green so deep, they were almost black. She watched as he took another glance at his watch then looked up at her and she felt a jolt of electricity as their eyes met above the crowds. His ice-blue gaze pierced her heart, but instead of chilling her; it just made her feel warm inside, forcing a warm smile across her face. She felt an immense tug to be sat next to him again and followed the pull eagerly.

Hermione slipped into the empty seat between Ron and Ginny, her hand automatically sliding to his thigh as she put her glass on the table. She felt Ron's hot breath against her ear and it sent a shiver down her spine.

"I missed you, 'Mione…"

Hermione turned her head to get a better view of Ron, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm sorry sweetheart, I just couldn't resist speaking to Clare. She promised me an introduction to Mr Summers – he's head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. He's another member of the Wizengamot I need to get on my side if Dobby's Law is to be successful. She wanted to introduce me to a few more people, but I just wanted to get back to you…"

Ron immediately felt his frostiness melt. He pressed his nose against hers before giving her the softest kiss. "I'll allow it…" Ron smiled as he pulled away.

"Oh, I'm glad…" Hermione laughed and slid the napkin into her bag; deciding there and then to continue to make Ron the focus of the night. If the opportunity came to speak to them then she'd take it, but it was his Christmas party after all.

The room went quiet as Robards stepped on to the small stage to welcome them. Hermione turned her body to watch him better, resting back against Ron's chest. She felt his arm slide over her shoulder and she took his hand, playing idly with his fingers. The Head Auror spoke briefly; paying tribute to their colleagues who had retired that year, as well as Senior Auror Perch who was unfortunately still not well enough to come tonight. He finished his speech by announcing that the food was ready. Hermione grinned as the long tables that had been set out around the edge of the room suddenly filled with food; it was just like being back in school.

The couple kept close to each other as they ate, ignoring the teasing from their table of friends about them being glued together. The jests didn't bother them though, they were just pleased that they were back together and happy.

"So, Hermione, Ron…" Harry spoke up once he'd swallowed his mouthful of chicken. "This is your first 'public' outing as a couple. You worried that you'll be in the Prophet tomorrow?"

Hermione glanced at Ron briefly. He had a mouth full of food so she turned towards her best friend, shaking her head. "Actually we agreed that it would be best now if everyone just knew and then we can just go about our lives without being pestered by witches, and wizards still determined to save Ron from bachelor-dom." She refilled both their glasses with a tap of her wand and drank half of hers in one go. "It's about time the world knew he was mine."

Ginny threw her husband a grin. "Well possessive Hermione is a new look…." She raised her eyebrows at them.

Ron teasingly tried to pull the glass out of Hermione's hand. "I don't mind it. It's nice to be wanted…" He grinned as he watched Hermione take another drink from her glass, he spare hand sliding back to his thigh. He stole a kiss from her, unable to resist the taste of champagne against her lips.

"Well, what happened to you two taking things slow? The way you two are acting, you'll be married with babies before long…" Ginny teased in a friendly manner. She was happy for her brother and her closest friend, but she could never resist the chance to be nosey.

Ron shrugged at Ginny after pulling away from another kiss. "It's been like… five months now? We haven't even really bickered. I think we're over all of the shit from the past, don't you think sweetheart?" He gazed at Hermione with that dopey grin on his face, reminding Harry of that time his best friend accidentally ate a whole batch of love-potion laced chocolates and almost died.

Hermione matched his smile, looking equally as gooey. "I love you…" The champagne was a lethal combination with the festive feeling and the overwhelming rush of love she felt for her boyfriend.

"Oh Merlin, pass the puke bucket!" Ginny wrinkled her nose up jokingly and pretended to vomit over her leftovers. "Why is it always me stuck next to you two snogging each other?!" She elbowed Hermione to try and get her to unglue herself from Ron, but the witch was having none of it.

"I'll save you, my love!" Harry emptied the last of his glass then got to his feet, holding his hand out to his wife. He pulled her up from her seat, laughing as she let out a joyous squeal.

"Hey, wait for us!" Neville followed suit. "Don't leave us with them!" He cast a quick glance at where Ron and Hemione were still snogging each other, oblivious to the mass exodus around the table, then followed Harry and Ginny, towing Hannah behind him.

Hermione eventually pulled away from Ron for breath, her cheeks flushed red and her lips swollen from his assault. She scratched a finger along the line of stubble growing on his jaw. "You're going to give me a rash…"

"I shaved; I promised!" He gave his girlfriend a cheeky grin.

"I don't believe you…" She settled back against him, taking a sip from her glass. She'd lost track of how much she'd had to drink now and her head was buzzing pleasantly. She watched the couples move their way around the dancefloor with a happy sigh.

Ron rested his head against hers. "Do you want to dance?" He watched her closely, wanting nothing more than to make her happy.

Hermione pulled away. "I always got the impression you weren't keen on dancing…"

He smiled at her statement and stood up, holding his hand out for her. "What, because you've seen me look grumpy dancing with McGonagall and ignoring Padma?!" What about at Bill and Fleur's wedding, we danced then…"

"Wasn't that just to stop Viktor hitting on me?" Hermione stood up and took his hand.

"That wasn't the only reason. I actually really just wanted to dance with you…" Ron smiled and pulled her through the now busy dancefloor, seeking out their friends. They eventually located them and forced themselves into the smallest gap in the crowd. They'd missed the slow songs and a heavy bass rhythm now thrummed out across the ballroom.

Hermione lost track of time as she let the music and champagne take over her senses. She felt Ron keep a tight grip on her hip, making sure she didn't stray too far. One of Hermione's favourite songs came on and she turned to face him, grinning as he met her gaze and held it. He replaced his hand on her hip and pulled her closer and she was reminded of the time they went to Ginny's Quidditch party earlier in the summer. They'd danced close like this then. Her breath hitched as she remembered the hot kiss they'd stolen.

She pressed her lips to his again, hungrily inhaling his scent. She was drunk, just like she'd been that night, but this time the kiss was legal and she knew she wouldn't have to run away from him. She giggled at the thought, she doubted she'd even be able to walk a straight line, let alone run at the moment.

The ceiling above them started to snow as the music changed to cheesy muggle Christmas songs. Ron tried to pull away from the kiss as Hermione giggled but she just tightened her grip on him, letting the snow collect on their shoulders and in their hair.

Ron eventually pulled away, sweeping one of her escaped curls behind her ear. Once again, he dropped his lips to her ear. "I'm not sure about you, but I think I'm ready to head home…"

The chill of his words on her skin made her gasp and she pressed her lips to his once more. She nodded at him and slipped her hand into his before turning to their friends.

"Ronald is taking me home!" Hermione declared loudly, grinning at the shouts of goodbye she got in reply. She started to pull at his arm, desperate now to get him out of the ballroom.

Ron moved with her, chuckling softly at how keen she was acting. Suddenly, Hermione's foot slipped in the snow. Luckily, his lightning-fast Keeper skills came into play straight away and he threw his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him to stop her from hitting the floor.

"Oops!" Hermione giggled as she gazed up at him. "You're my hero!"

Ron laughed and gave her a quick kiss before setting her back on her feet. "And you're drunk…" He moved back to their table, holding her close to him to make sure she didn't fall again. He picked up her purse.

"To the portkey!" Hemione called out jubilantly as Ron pushed a glass of water into her hand.

"Drink this first, you drunk…" He eyed her wearily as she did what she was told and held out her glass once it was empty. "Good girl. We'll get you some sober-up potion when you get home; I'm not ready for the night to end yet…"

Carefully, he led her back through the crowds and towards the exit. Hermione chatted away eagerly as they made their way up to the Atrium and the waiting portkeys. They joined the queue and Ron slid his arms around Hermione firmly from behind.

"So, Primrose Cottage or your flat, Mr Weasley?" Hermione snuggled back against him, the glass of water already making her feel a bit more sober.

"Neither; I have a surprise for you…" He grinned into her hair, wishing he could see her face properly.

"A surprise?" Hermione clapped her hands excitedly. "Why?"

Ron shrugged, even though Hermione couldn't see him and stepped up to the front of the queue. "It's Christmas Eve tomorrow, I wanted things to get off on the right foot…" He reluctantly let go of Hermione. "Portkey for Weasley, please…" He took the old muggle telephone and moved aside.

Hermione pulled a face. "You know I hate portkeys…" She reluctantly took hold of the device.

"I know, sweetheart but it will be worth it… trust me!" He grinned as the 'phone started to glow blue and he felt the familiar hook at his navel, pulling them to their next destination.


	20. The Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron whisks Hermione away for a night of romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure none of you will mind but the next few chapters are going to be completely smut/fluff filled with tiny bits of other stuff. I LOVE Christmas. It's my favourite and these two are so delightful to write at this time that it's just too easy. I've easily got at least two or three chapters out of them, although that may change after editing. Anyway, thank you for your comments and reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter xxx

The sky was pitch-black when the portkey unceremoniously dumped them at their destination, although Hermione was not surprised as it had to have been well past midnight.

Luckily, Ron managed to get a firm grip on her during their travel and he eased them expertly to the ground; he knew how much she hated travelling by portkey and the champagne would only make he feel worse. He felt her shiver in the cold mid-winter air and he pulled her closer briefly, wrapping his robes around the both of them.

Hermione took the opportunity of being snuggled under his robe to catch her breath, closing her eyes and wishing the nausea from the booze and travel away. It was almost five minutes before she spoke.

"Where are we?" She wriggled out of his hug and laced her fingers with his. She started to walk, immediately regretting wearing heels as she felt the gravel underfoot.

"Cirencester." Ron tightened his grip on her hand and led her up the drive. "I booked us a room in a place called the Barnsley House. It's one of those posh boutique spas muggles seem to like. I checked us in and brought our bags over earlier."

Hermione frowned but followed him down the gravel drive, slipping slightly under the frosted stones. Suddenly, the house came into view and she couldn't help but let out a small gasp.

The path was lined with carefully manicured bushes, strung with muggle fairy lights that gave off a warm glow. Although it was dark, she could see the lower half of the stately home was draped with greenery. It looked to be a small manor house; smaller than the ones her parents used to drag her to for golf events and dentistry conferences, but it didn't diminish its appearance in any way.

"Wait a minute!" Hermione stopped at the path, taking a second to admire the holly wreath that hung on the grand brown door before turning to eye Ron. Her hands were firmly on her hips. "When exactly did you check us in? You've been with me all day!"

Ron watched her with an amused smile. Her cheeks were still flushed with the effects of the champagne and the chill of the air, and her eyes were giving her smile away, despite the suspicious look she was attempting to give him.

"When you were busy obsessing over where the baubles should be placed on the tree at Primrose Cottage!"

Ron's smile grew as Hermione's look switched from suspicious to incredulous. "You were so busy decorating; I was able to pack a bag of your things without you noticing. Don't worry though, Ginny gave me a list so you don't just have a bag full of your smallest underwear!"

"You said you were going to your flat!" She poked him hard in the chest and Ron could see the goosebumps on her arms.

"Well I did go to my flat and then I came here! Now, are you going to stand outside in the cold shouting at me and waking up all the residents or are you going to come inside with me and get warm!" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Hermione grinned at him and let him slip an arm around her waist. She leaned into him for support and let him open the front door. He steered her past the wide staircase and down a long corridor. She gave the night worker manning the reception desk a wave as they passed him.

"This place is so beautiful. Every inch of it is covered in Christmas. I love Christmas!" Hermione kept up her commentary as they walked further into the building, probably waking everyone up as they moved. Ron couldn't help but laugh at her.

"I know you love Christmas. Although not as much as me!" He eventually stopped outside a room with a posh name on it. "Just wait until you see the room though…" He carefully helped her to lean against the wall as he dug out the key from his robe pockets. He opened the door then swept her up into his arms, shushing her as she let out a loud squeal.

"Will you keep quiet woman?!" Ron laughed as he easily carried her across the threshold of the room. The look on her face was perfect and he wished he had a camera with him. Her deep brown eyes sparkled with childish delight and her hair had given up the restraints of the intricate knot, which is how he preferred it anyway. He couldn't resist dipping his head to give her a kiss.

Once he pulled away, he carefully pushed the door closed and turned around so she could see the room properly. The décor was clean and fresh and the tasteful Christmas decorations in the entrance hall were continued in the bedroom. In front of them was a king-size four-poster bed made out of the lightest pine wood. The sheets were white and crisp. At the foot of the bed was a comfortable looking sofa and a small glass coffee table, where a bottle of expensive-looking champagne was waiting for them in a bucket of ice. The curtains had already been drawn closed, but the room was lit softly and Hermione could spot a sitting area in the large window. She couldn't wait to see the views in the morning.

"Okay, put me down. I want to explore!" Hermione wriggled slightly in his grip and he did as he was told. She immediately kicked off her heels and started to move around the room, pulling out drawers and opening doors.

He dug in the pocket of the suitcase he packed for them and pulled out a selection of vials. He sat down on the sofa and removed his own shoes, watching her with a fond smile as she headed into the bathroom.

"There's a roll-top bath Ron… I've always wanted a roll-top bath!"

"We'll have to try it out later…"

At the sound of Ron's voice, Hermione turned quickly in the bathroom doorway, almost tripping over her own feet again. Luckily, this time she caught herself using the doorframe and gave him a sheepish grin. In the time she'd been inspecting the bathroom, she'd removed the last of the pins from her hair and her wild curls were now framing her face.

She started to wander slowly towards him and he gulped hard. She had that wicked look on her face; the one that let him know that she was plotting something and he really didn't like his chances.

"You want this?" He held out the vial of sober-up potion but laughed as she swatted his hand away. "Don't you want to take the potion?" He watched her, eyebrows raised as she attempted to climb onto his lap with the grace of a drunk giraffe, which wasn't surprising given the amount of champagne she'd drunk.

"Maybe later…" She wrinkled up her nose. "I don't like the taste!"

"Well, that's the point. If it was tasty, like butterbeer or pumpkin juice or something, then people would abuse it and take too much of it. In fact, I think you're the one who told me that!" He helped her to get comfortable with a soft laugh. She was straddling his lap and facing him now, pushing him further into the soft cushions on the sofa. She was trying her best to be sexy, something that didn't come naturally to her; although Ron always found her the sexiest when she wasn't trying - when she was just lounging around without make-up on and in his jogging bottoms. Whatever she was doing, it was working and he shifted uncomfortably underneath her.

He tried to ignore the small voice in his head that was determined to remind him how much she'd had to drink and instead focussed on the feel of her fingertips as they skated around his collar, slowly loosening his bow tie. He slipped one hand to her backside, holding her safely on his lap and let the other run slowly through her curls.

"You sound like me…" Hermione furrowed up her brow in concentration, abandoning the now tangled knot of his bow tie briefly. "When did that happen?"

"Yeah, this whole role reversal thing is weird isn't it? Do you want me to start being less sensible again?!"

"Yes please, if you don't mind!"

Hermione's words were starting to get less slurred and Ron guessed the glass of water she'd downed before their portkey must be starting to work. She finally got the bow tie unfastened and pulled it out from around his neck.

"I need to get you out of these robes, although you do look incredibly handsome in them…" Her fingers started fumbling with the buttons of his shirt.

"You're not that bad looking yourself…"

The sight of his bare skin as it was revealed to her was almost as intoxicating as the champagne and Hermione leaned forward, taking a deep breath. She loved how he smelt; all earthy and manly with a hint of the cinnamon that had been prevalent at the party. She couldn't help herself as she pressed her tongue against his skin.

"Hermione…" Ron groaned softly and tightened his grip on her, sliding one hand under the material of her dress. He danced his fingers along the lace of her underwear; he knew they were black; he'd watched her getting dressed earlier that evening and had been counting down the minutes until he could get her back out of them.

Fuelled by his groan, Hermione abandoned the rest of his buttons and started to kiss a hot trail starting at his exposed chest and working her way painfully slowly up to his jawline. She grinned at the noise her lips made as it brushed against his stubble.

By the time she fell into a hungry kiss with him, he was so hard he was actually aching for her and the voice that had been warning him about how drunk she had been was pushed far to the back of his head. It was very clear that she was completely aware of what she wanted and he was not going to risk her wrath and deny her it. He was painfully aware that they were both wearing far too many items of clothing. He let go of her, trusting her to keep her own balance so that he could shrug out of his robes, letting them pool around where they were sat on the sofa. He untucked his shirt from his trousers and worked on unfastening his remaining buttons.

Hermione tore her lips from his as she felt him moving. Carefully, she slid from his lap and steadied herself on her feet, almost bumping against the coffee table as she moved.

"Don't you dare move!" She pointed a finger at him, trying to look authoritative although Ron just found it incredibly sexy. She reached back slowly and started unzipping her dress. Eventually, she let it fall from her body and stepped out of it, pushing it away with her foot. Ron let out a groan as he finally got to see those black lacy knickers again.

"You'll be the death of me Hermione…" He stood up too, taking the opportunity to relieve himself of the rest of his clothes, risking a bollocking later by throwing them haphazardly across the room.

Surprisingly, the witch just laughed and waited until he was settled back on the sofa before removing her knickers, throwing them across the room with the rest of his clothes.

Ron laughed too and pulled her back to him, nestling his lips against her neck as she once again made herself comfortable on his lap.

"I love you…" His voice was muffled by her skin, but she knew exactly what he'd said and it sent electricity racing through her body, making her heart pound in an irregular rhythm.

"I love you too, so much!"

She carefully slid her hands into his hair and pulled his lips up to hers, falling into a deep, hungry kiss with him. Every inch of their skin was touching and yet she felt like she needed more of him. She didn't break the kiss as she lifted her hips and carefully slid onto him. He gasped against her lips and she pressed her chest tighter against his. She didn't stop until he was buried to the hilt and she groaned against his lips.

They stayed joined like this for a while; fingers exploring each other's skin as if it were the first time again. Their tongues danced against each other, causing Ron to feel a throb of need for her. He slid both hands under her backside, encouraging her to move her hips. He moaned as she took the hint and slowly started to rock against him.

Ron let out a guttural groan and tore his lips from hers, throwing his head back to rest against the sofa. This was nothing like he'd experienced before. They were so close together, the friction between their bodies was heightening his pleasure and he knew she was moving painfully slow, just to wind him up.

"Hermione…" He gave her a warning, nipping at her jawline. She moaned her reply, which only served to drive him crazier but despite his best efforts, she refused to pick up the pace.

"Right, that's it…"

He carefully stood up, laughing at her protests. He dropped her unceremoniously on to the mattress and climbed over her. "You're a pain in my arse, Hermione Granger!" He placed his lips to her stomach, kissing low along her bikini line.

"I know and yet you keep coming back for more!" She giggled and squirmed underneath him, attempting to push his head lower. "I'm ticklish, stop it!"

"Serves you right!"

He pushed back against her, dipping his tongue into her belly button before working his way back up her body. He slipped a hand in between them, seeking out her sensitive bundle of nerves the same time he pressed his tongue to her nipple.

"Jesus Ron!" Hermione arched her back, pushing her chest into his mouth.

Sometimes, Ron thought he was a boob man and then he'd get a good look at her backside or the curve of her neck. He remembered one time, towards the end of their time in Hogwarts, he'd been turned on just by the sight of her elbow peeking out from underneath her rolled-up shirt sleeves so he figured he was actually just a "Hermione-Man" instead. He absolutely loved her body and tried to spend as much time as he could just worshipping her and making her feel good.

Eventually, he removed his hand and nestled back in between her thighs, slipping into her with ease. She was so turned on; he decided that Hermione was definitely a "Ron-girl". He kept on pressing kisses against her chest, making sure that neither breast was neglected as he thrust against her.

It didn't take long for her to hit her peak and he didn't give her long to recover before he picked up the pace again. He only let himself go when she'd come for the second time. The sight of her lying underneath him, completely undone and desperately trying to catch her breath spurring him on.

Eventually, he collapsed down on her carefully and lay his head next to hers, his nose nestled against her cheek happily. He felt Hermione wrap her arms around him and he let out a content sigh.

"Do I still need to take the potion?" She stroked a finger down his spine.

Ron raised his head. "Yes, although if you hadn't mentioned it, I might have forgotten." He smirked and carefully untangled himself from her. He got up from the bed and crossed the room, picking up the vial from where he'd discarded it on the sofa without bothering to cover himself up. He grabbed two bottles of water from the mini-fridge and threw one to Hermione, laughing as she fumbled the catch.

He waited for her to sit up before passing her the vial.

Hermione pulled the plug on the vial and downed the potion in one gulp, wrinkling her nose in disgust. It tasted almost of nothing, but with the strongest aftertaste of tabasco sauce. For a moment, Ron wondered if she might throw up but the nauseous look on her face passed. She put the empty vial on her bedside table and took a sip of the water.

"Come here…" He lay down and held an arm out for her, letting her cuddle up to his side. He pulled the duvet up over their bodies and stroked her hair softly.

Hermione was grateful to get a quiet 5 minutes to unwind before bed. Her ears were still ringing from the loud music at the party and her head was starting to pound. She closed her eyes and let out a happy sigh.

"Better?" Ron watched her closely.

"Yes. Sorry I got drunk…"

"Oh, I think you made up for it!" Ron reached for his hand, using it to turn the lights out in the room with a small mutter of a charm.

"Tonight was perfect, although I don't know what I've done to deserve it!"

Ron put his wand back on his bedside table and trailed a hand over her back. He breathed in deeply. "It's been a strange year, hasn't it? You started it in Australia and me… well, I wasn't with you!" He laughed softly. "We've both dealt with some shit and I thought we love Christmas so why not start it off on a good note. We've got just over a week off work now, you're spending your first Christmas at the Burrow…"

Hermione lifted her head and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. Ron smiled as he could taste the sober-up potion.

"Thank you, Ron. I still don't feel like I deserve you after the way I treated you last year…"

"We've moved past that now Hermione, don't you think?"

"I just don't want you to think I take you for granted. I know how lucky I am to get a second chance with you…"

Ron smiled widely as she settled down next to him. He was glad he decided to give Hermione a second chance and all their hard work was finally paying off. "Do you remember our last Christmas together?"

"Yeah – that week was amazing. Just spending the time chilling with you. New Years Day was my favourite though… that ring you got me…" Hermione let out a happy sigh and sat up suddenly, smiling down at him. "Oh, that ring was so beautiful. Have you still got it?"

Ron took a deep breath as she started rambling on about the ring. He knew she'd eventually bring it up. He tried his best to focus his thoughts on staying happy. "I don't know, it's somewhere probably…" He shrugged.

"Can I have it back, do you think?" Hermione's eyes were bright with excitement and expectation.

Ron suddenly felt cold, and he drew the duvet tighter around himself. The ring held bad memories for him, getting it delivered back to the flat via long-distance owl mail was one of the worst things he'd experienced recently. It brought up all the insecurities he thought he'd gotten rid of when he faced Riddle's locket. "I don't know Hermione. I don't know where it is at this exact moment!"

"Well, we can go back to the flat on our way to the Burrow tomorrow. A quick Accio charm should help us find it."

"Hermione! Ron felt his jaw set as she pushed him over his line of calm. "Will you just leave it?" He rolled onto his side, his arms folded across his body and closed his eyes.

Hermione stared at his back, feeling confused. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just tired. It's been a long night. Just go to sleep!"

"But Ron…"

"Fucks sake Hermione. I asked you to drop it! Why'd you have to push it? Go to sleep!"

Hermione felt tears burn in her eyes. She wasn't sure what she'd done to upset him but she knew it was best to drop it before she made things worse. She rested her head back down on her pillow, trying her best to fall asleep but even when his soft snores started filling the room, she was still wide awake.


	21. Christmas Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and Ron talk about the missing ring and everything it symbolises. Meanwhile, back at the Burrow Witch Weekly releases it Christmas Special edition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh last chapter was a doozy. This one should hopefully set a lot of things right with their relationship. It's a long one, but there were still some things that both Ron and Hermione were sitting on that needed talking out. I looked at splitting it into two chapters, but it just didn't feel right no matter where I split it. A lot happens, so fasten your seatbelts! xxx

Despite the late time they’d gotten to bed and the restless night of sleep she’d had; Hermione still woke up far too early the next morning. She peeled her eyes open with a small groan; she’d forgotten to take her make-up off before going to bed, another reason why she hated wearing it – it was always far too much effort for the little effect it had. With her eyes now open, she was greeted with the sight of Ron’s freckled back, still shifting softly with his snores.

Her head was pounding and her mouth felt full of Pygmy Puff fluff. Sober-Up potions were notoriously bad for enhancing hangovers. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the bottom of Ron’s neck before moving slowly out of bed, being careful not to wake him as she pulled the duvet back over him and tucked him in. She spotted his discarded shirt on the bedroom floor and pulled it on, buttoning it haphazardly over her body. She picked up the rest of their clothes, being careful not to move too quickly and folded them neatly back into the suitcase after digging out their clothes for the day. She noted with a smile that he hadn’t bothered to pack pyjamas for them, so she left Ron’s pile of clean clothes close to his side of the bed.

After quickly using the bathroom and digging a fresh bottle of water out of the mini-fridge, she settled into one of the chairs in the window; opening the curtains enough to read the book she’d found among their things. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, but she could see the signs of a garden glowing in the early morning light.

When Ron woke a couple of hours later Hermione was still sat in the chair, although she’d swapped her book for a cup of tea. She was staring out the window, watching the birds search for breakfast on the frosted lawn.

He proposed himself up on his elbows, squinting in the sunlight. He spotted the pile of his clothes on the chair near the bed, a fresh pair of boxers on top and smiled at her thoughtfulness; it was the little things that kept Ron happy and showed how much she really cared for him. He moved carefully out of bed, not wanting to upset his own hangover and pulled on his boxers and a t-shirt. He crossed the room quickly, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

“Good morning beautiful…”

Ron’s voice roused Hermione out of her daydream and she lifted her head up to smile at him. “Good morning…”

He leaned down to press another kiss against her lips before eyeing the plates on the coffee table. “Did you eat breakfast without me?” He helped himself to a cup of tea before topping up hers.

“No, I’m not hungry yet. I did, however, order your favourites and put them under a warming charm ready for when you woke up. I knew you’d be hungry…”

“Thank you, sweetheart. Did you sleep okay?”

“No, not really…”

Ron sighed as he looked down at her, immediately feeling guilty. Her face was pale and she had deep circles under her eyes. His parents had always warned him never to go to sleep on an argument, but he never struggled to sleep so it wasn’t really a rule he followed. 

Hermione on the other hand hated trying to sleep when she thought people were annoyed with her, or when she was annoyed herself, or when she had anything on her mind. He rubbed his hand against the stubble on his jaw, desperately wanting to make her feel better.

“How long do you think the warming charm on the food will last?”

“At least an hour, I reckon…”

“Good…” Ron sat down on the chair opposite hers. “Can we talk?”

Hermione nodded but Ron noticed her shoulders tensing up. He held his hand out to her and laced their fingers together.

“I’m sorry about last night…”

“Me too. I’m really sorry I pushed you. I should know by now to recognise the signs I’m annoying you…” She sighed heavily. “I guess the sober-up potion has limited effects…”

“Plus you were trying to talk to me about something important to you and I should have realised that…” Ron let out a sigh that matched hers. “When I first gave you that ring, it was supposed to symbolise that me and you were forever. Like a pre-engagement ring, I guess. And even though we’d broken up, a part of me thought that as long as you’d kept hold of it, there might have still been a chance for us…”

“I didn’t think of it that way. I just thought you wouldn’t have wanted me to keep it because we weren’t together anymore. Plus when I sent it back I was angry…”

“ _You_ were angry?” Ron laughed softly and stroked his thumb against the back of her hand. “I spent five days straight in the Leaky after getting that owl. I reckon Harry would have come and dragged me out if I hadn’t bumped into Lav…”

Hermione tensed up slightly at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. She knew the circumstances of how they’d gotten back together and she was very aware that she was the reason they’d broken up. Her body language wasn’t missed by Ron, despite his hangover.

“You need to move past the fact that Lavender and I were together Hermione…” He didn’t let go of her hand, but his thumb stopped stroking her skin. “I wasn’t going to save myself for you…”

“I know…” She rubbed her eyes with her spare hand, feeling frustrated with the whole situation. “I know, I’m sorry…”

“About Lav?”

“About the whole situation. I handled it all awfully and was a cow to her to boot. I’m not mad at you about it. I’m sorry about the way I handled it. I shouldn’t have sent the ring back with a heated letter. When you didn’t reply to it, I felt awful too.”

Ron laughed softly. “Did you really expect me to reply?”

“No…” Hermione’s frown dissolved into a small smile. “You were rubbish at replying to all the nice letters I’ve sent over the many years I’ve been sending them to you. I know better than to expect a reply.”

“Well, you’re right there. That’s why we had those ‘phones…” He leaned in to give her a kiss, grateful that their conversation was going a lot better than it did last night.

Hermione returned the kiss before pulling away, a serious look back on her face. “I know we’ve talked about it so many times, but I am truly sorry. You were my first proper boyfriend; I didn’t have a clue what I was doing – I still don’t and I don’t really have friends to speak to about stuff like that.”

“You have Harry and Ginny…”

“Oh yeah, ringing Ginny and asking her how to break up effectively with her brother would go down well!” Hermione gave Ron a friendly smile to show she was teasing. “It was never my intention to break up with you on the phone that day. I just let my anger dictate the call…”

“Well, we’re both really good at letting our anger take control…” Ron stood up, pulling her up to her feet. He took her empty teacup from her before wrapping his arms around her in a tight bear hug. He kissed the top of her head again.

Hermione stood there for a few moments, just breathing in his scent. “I am really sorry about last night. I feel I ruined things…”

“You didn’t ruin things; I had a fantastic night.”

“Me too!” She nestled closer against his chest, seeking the comfort from his strong arms and chest. “Do you want to take a bath with me, see if we can get things back on track?”

“Yes please,” Ron nodded into her hair. Reluctantly, he let go of her and walked with her slowly to the bathroom, trying hard to stay as close to her as possible as they moved. He sat her on the edge of the bath and started running it, adding all the luxury bubbles he could find in the bathroom, raising his eyebrows as Hermione laughed softly.

“You, Miss Granger, need to learn the benefits of a good bubble bath. I will convert you yet!” He helped her up and started unbuttoning the shirt. “Now, as sexy as you look wearing only my shirt; it cost me a fair few sickles and I don’t want to ruin it with bathwater…”

This time, he hung the shirt on the bathroom door and removed his boxers. Once the bath was full, he turned the taps off and got in; leaning back to make room for her.

Hermione stepped into the water and settled between his legs, closing her eyes briefly. She was exhausted, and she still had to survive Christmas Eve at the Burrow before bedtime. She rested her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes with a yawn and smiling as she felt him snake one of her arms around her waist, his thumb softly stroking against her stomach. 

“Can I ask a favour?”

“What’s that?” Ron rested his head against hers.

“Can we promise not to sleep on an argument, no matter how mad we are at each other? I’m exhausted, I’m not sure how I’m going to survive an afternoon with your family!”

Ron blushed, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Yeah okay, I forgot not everyone is as good as sleeping as I am…”

“You are brilliant at sleeping… I’m jealous…” Hermione giggled.

“I know something else I’m brilliant at…” He dropped his lips to just behind her ear, pushing her hair to the side to get at her skin and nuzzling at it affectionately.

“What’s that?” She could already feel her heartbeat starting to speed up as she felt the hand that was stroking her stomach move up to cup her left breast, his thumb pressing against her nipple. She let out a soft moan as she felt his touch. He was being extremely gentle with her as he slipped his other arm around her waist, grazing his fingers along her lower stomach before dipping lower.

Ron didn’t respond to her question, instead choosing to focus on pressing kisses against the side of her neck, her soft moans let him know when he was hitting the right spots. He grinned as he hit a particularly sensitive spot where her neck met his collarbone and she groaned his name so she worked on leaving a faint love bite against it; needing to mark her and let the world know that she was his.

He continued doing his best to make her feel good, feeling a little guilty that he was the reason she’d woken up feeling so shitty to begin with. He figured this would probably be the pattern of their lives together; both of them were champions at bickering and that would probably never change but Ron thought that as long as they both put as much effort into making up, they would be okay.

He felt Hermione slip a hand back between them and he let out a groan as she wrapped her fingers around him, starting to stroke him softly. The pressure he’d felt as her body moved in time with his fingers, his hard cock pressed tightly between their bodies had almost been enough anyway; but the feeling of her hand in the warm water made him throb in pleasure.

He carried on sucking softly on that spot on her collarbone, the bruise growing larger against his lips as he pleasured her with his fingers.

“Merlin, Ron…” Her eyes flicked open and she held eye contact with him as she shuddered against him, her hand reaching back to tangle in his hair so she could hold him as close as possible. He felt his own release not long after, craning his neck around awkwardly to try his best to kiss as close to her lips as he could get.

They carried on stroking their fingers against each other’s skin, Ron talking in low, comforting words to Hermione. Her breathing soon turned steady and slow and he wondered if she’d fallen asleep in his arms until she shivered in the now cold water.

“I’m hungry…” She forced her eyes open again.

“Me too!” His stomach gave a growl in agreement, causing them both to laugh and break the post-orgasm bubble they’d been basking in. He pushed himself out of the bath, carefully climbing over her and reached for two towels, using a hot-air charm to warm them up. 

He quickly dried himself off and fastened the towel around his waist before holding one out for her, wrapping her in it tightly. Once they were both dried and dressed in the cosy hotel dressing gowns, they ate their breakfast on the chairs in the window.

“I bet this place is beautiful in the spring and summer…”

Hermione smiled softly. 

“Yeah, I think this garden underneath our window is a rose garden. The smell by itself would be stunning…”

“Roses are your favourite, aren’t they?”

“Yeah! How’d you know?”

Ron shrugged and carried on chewing his toast. “Just one of those things I’ve picked up I guess. Don’t get too excited though, you’re not getting flowers off me too Hermione, you’ve had enough surprises already!”

Hermione pouted at him. “Does that mean I’m not getting a Christmas present?!”

“Well, I didn’t say that!” He gave her a wicked grin and finished his breakfast. “How about we get dressed and wrapped up and take a walk through the gardens before we head to the Burrow?”

“That sounds perfect!” Hermione collected up their plates before moving to get changed.

~*~

Hermione apparated into the magical boundaries at the Burrow just after lunch. She smiled as she glanced up at the house; Christmas was practically pouring out of it and even the gnomes running around the garden were wearing little Santa hats. Crookshanks would have loved it. She could hear Celestina Warbeck belting out from the kitchen. With the sky looking like it was threatening to snow, she hurried up to the house and stepped into the warm kitchen, laughing as she was immediately pulled into Molly’s arms.

“Happy Christmas Eve Hermione, love. Have you come alone?” The Weasley matriarch was always welcoming and Hermione was always grateful that she’d been accepted back into the large brood.

“Ron’s on his way; he’s just popped to the cottage to get our things…”

Molly pulled away from the hug. “Are you okay? You’re looking peaky… do you want a pepper-up potion?”

“No thank you. We just partied way too hard last night…” Hermione gave her a sheepish smile.

“Well, why don’t you go and make yourself comfortable in the front room. You missed lunch but I have plenty going spare; I’ll make you up a plate…”

Hermione thanked Molly and shrugged off her coat, hanging it in its usual place with everyone else’s. She wandered through to the living room, smiling at Harry and Ginny. 

“Are you the only ones here?” She curled up like a cat on the loveseat, resting her head back against the sofa and closing her eyes briefly.

“So far…” Ginny watched her friend closely. “Did you have a good night?” She smirked at Hermione’s appearance.

Hermione forced her eyes back open. “I forgot to take a hangover potion. I’m shattered…”

“Yeah, it’s the hangover I’m sure…” Ginny’s smirk grew wider, but she was prevented from teasing Hermione any further by the reappearance of her mum, who not only brought through a plate of sandwiches but a whole tray of snacks and cakes. Hermione was adamant that Molly’s sole goal in life was to make sure visitors left the house at least a few pounds heavier, if not a whole dress size.

Ron soon arrived at the Burrow, dumping their things in the hallway much to his mum’s chagrin. “Brilliant, there’s food!”

He plonked himself down on the loveseat next to Hermione, pressing a kiss against her temple before reaching for the plate of food eagerly.

“So, have the two of you had the chance to see the Prophet or the Christmas special edition of Witch Weekly?” Harry asked almost nervously.

“No…” Hermione frowned. “I’d completely forgotten about it, how bad is it?”

“Well, luckily they’ve chosen to mostly focus on Ginny and me…” He rolled his eyes and pulled the offending articles out from the side of the sofa.

Hermione took them with a sigh and let herself sink back against Ron as she flicked to the features. The coverage of the party from the Daily Prophet wasn’t too bad; mostly pictures of the group as they made their entrances and as they danced together but Witch Weekly seemed to have taken a different angle.

“It’s nice to see they still have a strong dislike for me then…” She felt tears burn in her eyes and even though she hated herself for reacting this way, she let them fall angrily. She was tired and this was the last thing she needed; especially with Dobby’s Law so close to launching. She let out a shaky breath, but it was no good; she was finding her cool slipping away and she hated the magazine even more for ruining the happy mood she’d been in. She abandoned the magazine on Ron’s lap and stood up quickly.

“I think I’ll take our stuff upstairs before someone trips on it!” She moved quickly, gathering their bags without reducing them down in size and starting to pull them up the stairs.

Ron frowned as he watched her leave and picked up Witch Weekly as he expertly shoved the last of his mine pie into his mouth. He waited until he’d finished chewing before reading the headline out loud.

“Harpy Hermione sinks her claws into Weasley: Now Potter is tied down; Granger sets her eyes on the remaining member of the Golden Trio!” He let out a loud groan as the picture they’d chosen to feature seemed to show a drunken Hermione throwing herself at Ron and giggling. It was a really unflattering and incorrect representation of what really happened.

“Oh for fucks sake…” He threw the magazine on to the coffee table in disgust and stood up, ignoring his mum reprimanding him for swearing and followed Hermione up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He headed into his childhood bedroom, sighing as he spotted Hermione sat on the edge of his old bed; her head in her hand as she sobbed quietly.

“Hermione…” He carefully dropped to his knees in front of her, taking one of her hands into his. “Come on now, you know it’s all bullshit!”

Hermione used her spare hand to wipe her eyes shakily. “I know, it’s just not fair! They’re making me out to be a Scarlet Woman again and that’s not how it is!”

“Well, they still haven’t gotten over you breaking Harry’s heart by going off with Krum and now you’ve moved on to me…” He gave her a smile to let her know he was joking. “At least there’s no Howlers…”

“Not yet…” Hermione looked down at him with sad eyes and his heart broke for her. He knew how much she struggled with the attention they attracted to them given their positions in the Wizarding World. Despite the good work she did in the world, Hermione would never outlive the bad press she’d been given (undeservedly) during the Triwizard Tournament.

“Well if they do show up, you don’t have to worry about them. My brothers will soon be here and we’ll be on mail duty, okay? Unless it’s got a Ministry stamp on it, it’s going in the fire!”

She nodded weakly, a small smile finally forming on her face.

“That’s better…” Ron reached up to wipe the last of the tears off her cheeks. “Today’s been something ‘eh?”

“Yeah… it has…” She ran a hand through her curls and Ron noted how exhausted she still looked. “Thank you for coming up to check on me…”

“S’my job… why don’t you take a nap? I promise I’ll come and wake you if anything exciting happens…”

Hermione nodded and watched as Ron stood up and toed off his shoes before climbing over her to get to the other side of the bed. He held his arms open for her.

Hermione laughed softly and moved into his arms. As soon as she was wrapped tightly in his embrace as she closed her eyes.

“I know you’re not a Harpy, by the way…” He kissed the top of her head. “Fuck what the rest of the world thinks!”

Ron waited for the inevitable telling off he’d get for the amount of swearing he’d done today but she was already fast asleep in his arms. He lay there anyway with her until the sounds of his brothers’ arrivals reverberated up to the top floor of the house. He carefully untangled himself and tucked her under the duvet, which was now a mute floral number. He shut the door tightly behind her and hurried back downstairs to greet his siblings.

~*~

“Ron love, maybe you should go and wake Hermione up. It’s almost dinner time and she wouldn’t want to miss out…”

Ron looked up from a particularly tricky game of chess with Harry. The git had obviously been practising and was almost beating him. 

His mum was holding out a cup of tea, steam rising from its surface. He took the hint as its intended command and stood up, taking the tea off his mum before throwing a warning glance at Harry. “I know where my pieces are Harry, you cheat and I’ll get Ginny to hex your balls off.”

When he got up to his bedroom, he smiled as Hermione was still sound asleep. He put the mug down on the side table next to her and pressed a soft kiss against her lips.

“’Mione, it’s time to wake up sweetheart…”

Hermione stirred, stretching lazily before reaching eagerly for Ron. He climbed over her again and onto the bed, spooning up to her. Her body was still had that delightful heat from sleeping.

“Dinners almost ready. Mum sent me up to get you. You’ve been asleep all afternoon.” He nuzzled his lips against her hair.

“Have I missed anything?”

“George and Charlie have been playing out their favourite howlers. Luckily there haven’t been that many, so people must be getting bored of reading about our love lives. They’ve saved some of the best ones to show you after dinner but don’t worry, they only like the ones that target me!”

Hermione laughed softly and turned in his arms to face him, feeling less wound up now she’d had a decent amount of sleep.

“Were they ghastly?” She pulled a face.

Ron shrugged. “Some of them were. There were some nice letters too, wishing us luck and some mourning the loss of me from the Bachelor world. There was no Bubotuber pus this time though so that’s a bonus!” He pushed her hair away from her face.

“Don’t let all this over-inflate your ego Weasley…” She smiled fondly and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“I’ve never felt so wanted!”

“Shut up!” She punched his shoulder with a laugh. “I’ve told you all along you're free to go find yourself someone new if you want…”

“Nah, that’s way too much hard work.” He snuggled even closer to her. “I like it here…”

Hermione let out a happy sigh. “Me too…”

Ron leaned in for another kiss, a huge smile on his face but they were interrupted by Molly calling up the stairs that dinner was ready.

Hermione slid off the bed first, rearranging her clothes before waiting for Ron. “This room looks weird like this…”

Ron stayed on the bed for a bit longer, finally taking in all the changes. He rarely came up here on their weekly visits to the Burrow. “You’re right, it’s too boring…”

“Hmmm…” Hermione picked up her wand, her face scrunched in concentration for a moment. She chewed on her bottom lip then finally cast a spell, turning the room back into the bright orange they were used to. “That’s better…”

Ron was now sat on the end of the bed, watching her with his mouth agape. He’d seen her do some pretty spectacular magic, but sometimes it was the smaller charms that made him catch his breath. He didn’t know of anyone else who could change the appearance of a room with just a flick of their wand, apart from Dumbledore.

“You’re bloody scary sometimes…” He held out his hand for her and pulled her out of his room with a grin, eager for one of Molly’s feasts. The now cold cup of tea was left abandoned on the side table.


	22. Christmas at the Burrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione finally experiences her first Christmas at the Burrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I only posted an update yesterday, but after the comments I'd received I made some tweaks to this chapter which resulted in two extra chapters. I got so excited about this chapter, I decided to post about it today. To give a bit of context to my writing process; I set out all the chapters and what's going to happen in each one and try to stay around 5 chapters ahead of myself. So this has been written for ages. I had always planned for Ron and Hermione to have the conversation towards the end of the chapter and it's been written for a month, but then something AzureAlquimista said to me rang true 'Most [fics] are "I love you; all problems solved...'". That and a few other ideas we discussed made me change how the conversation went, but I think it's better this way. Strap yourself in - long chapters equals a rollercoaster. Hopefully we'll be back to our regular scheduled posting Thursday (although I still have to squish posting another chapter in somewhere if I want this fic to be finished and posted by the end of the year!) Anyway, long Author notes are long but I wanted to explain myself a little. I really hope you "enjoy" this chapter. It was hard to write, I cried. But I promise it will be worth it.
> 
> P.S Thank you to everyone over at the HPRomione discord who helped me to decide what Ron was giving Hermione for Christmas

Hermione could count on one hand the number of times Ron would be awake before her. In fact, she probably wouldn't need all five fingers.

Christmas was number one on that list.

True to form, he had woken up exceptionally early. Hermione could feel his eyes on her, burning into the back of her head and she grumbled, burying herself further into the bright orange pillow. She didn't have to turn to look at him to know he was sat up next to her, fidgeting with excited energy.

Ron noticed her slight movement and grinned. "You're awake!" He almost pounced on her, pushing the duvet cover off her body before pressing kisses anywhere on her back not covered by her pyjama top. It had ridden up overnight, revealing a slash of bare skin at the small of her back; another of his favourite spots.

"Are you ill?" Hermione lifted her head, throwing a teasing frown at him. "Why are you awake?"

"Because it's Christmas – my favourite day of the year! There are presents and all of my favourite foods…"

"What? No, it isn't, you're completely wrong. Go back to sleep you fool!" Hermione let her head fall back to her pillow, trying to fight the smile creeping over her face. His enthusiasm was always infectious, even at ridiculous hours of the morning (as long as he wanted to be awake that is).

Ron sat back on his heels and frowned at his girlfriend. "Hermione, wake up!" He lifted her arm and pulled at it gently.

She let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled over, making a big show of forcing her eyes open and 'waking up'. She finally set her sights on Ron and her heart immediately filled with love for him. His face was lit up with joy and he looked just like the 12-year-old who'd run down the dormitory stairs, taking them two at a time before bounding into the Gryffindor common room to wish her a Merry Christmas. Despite the fact they faced testing their own potion-making skills with the polyjuice that afternoon, his puppy-like energy had been infectious and it had remained that way in all the years she'd known him.

"Merry Christmas Ron!"

Ron's grin grew wider, filling his face right up to his eyes. "Merry Christmas, love!"

He leaned down to give her a soft kiss. Hermione looped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, laughing as his body crashed down on top of hers. She carried on kissing him until the thunder of footsteps on the stairs disturbed them.

"I guess I should put you down…" Hermione pouted up at Ron with a sigh.

"Yeah, I guess… although now we've started kissing, I kind of just want to stay here and make all my presents bed-related…" He wriggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to burst into a fit of giggles.

"Don't ever change Ron Weasley, I love you…"

"I love you too!"

"Now, as much as I want nothing more in the world right now than to stay in bed with you all day, all the security charms in the world would not stop your mother from coming up here and splitting us up. We're lucky we're being allowed to share a bed as it is. It's far too dangerous…"

Ron groaned in mock protest but started to move off her anyway. He carefully climbed off the bed and started getting dressed. "We have ridden dragons, broken into Gringotts and destroyed Horcruxes and still it's my mother that scares us the most!"

"And with reason. Ginny told me about how Molly killed Bellatrix to protect her. There's no way I'm getting in between her and her wand…" Hermione pushed her feet into her slippers and held out her hand for Ron, who took it and gave it a tight squeeze before leading her downstairs.

They were immediately greeted by a chorus of Merry Christmases from the rest of the family.

"Nice of you to join us…" George smirked at his brother and girlfriend as they finally joined everyone.

"Sorry, mum did give us an official time for present opening…" Ron scowled at his brother.

"Never mind, you're here now…" Molly stepping quickly. Christmas morning was far too early for the children to be arguing. "Right… you all know where your piles of presents are. On your marks, get set, go!"

Hermione stood in the doorway of the room, watching in surprise as the family located their presents and tore into them with gusto. She was more used to an orderly affair. When she was with her family, they each took it in turns to unwrap a present and the paper got put away in a black bin bag before they started on the next. The Burrow living room currently looked like a Christmas crime scene with wrapping paper spread across the place and a myriad of sounds coming from every corner. Victoire was the only one taking her time, but that was because presents were still a new concept to the 18-month-old toddler.

Hermione felt a pull at her arm and she turned her attention to Ron.

"Your presents are here next to mine…" He patted the floor and she sat down next to him, kissing his temple before reaching for her own pile.

She received the usual presents from the family; tubs of homemade cookies and sweets, new quills, and a collection of books she'd been eyeing up recently in Flourish and Botts.

Her favourite present was a knitted Weasley family jumper in deep navy with a gold 'H' on the front. She pulled it on eagerly, laughing as Ron made his usual protestations about his maroon jumper.

She waited for Ron to finish unwrapping the presents from his family before digging in her pocket for her present to him. She placed it in his hands with a proud smile.

"What's this?" Ron frowned at the wrapped twig. He held it between two fingers, trying to work out what it might be.

"Oh wait… I did that wrong…" She tapped the present with her wand and laughed as it grew to full size, forcing Ron to drop the present to the floor. His eyes lit up with excitement.

"No way?!" Ron gasped and tore at the paper eagerly. "It's a new broom!"

"Well you've been using the same one for a few years now and I thought it was time you got an upgrade. Don't worry! Ginny and Harry made sure I was buying the right one!"

"This is brilliant, thank you, Hermione!" He leaned over the broom to give her a kiss.

"You're welcome handsome…" She pulled away from the kiss and watched him expectantly, waiting for him to present her with a gift but instead he just turned back to admiring his broom. She frowned and nudged him with her foot.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Ron looked up at her with the cutest smile.

"I just wondered if I had any more presents to open?" She tried to match his cute smile, but it fell quickly off her face as she saw the realisation hit his face. She immediately regretted asking as it became obvious he'd forgotten.

Ron abandoned his new broom, looking guilty.

"Oh… shit…" His cheeks burned bright red. Hermione could see his brothers paying attention to their conversation and she kicked herself mentally for even bringing it up. "I guess I just thought the other night at the hotel… it cost me quite a bit of money…"

Hermione forced a smile on to her face. "Oh yeah of course… sorry Ron, I didn't realise that was my present. It was perfect though…" She leaned towards him to give him a kiss. She felt awful, but so conflicted. Everyone else was unwrapping presents from their partners. It wasn't as if she had gone without, she'd been thoroughly spoiled by the rest of the family and it wasn't like her to be so bothered about a lack of material things; it was always the moments and experiences that were more important to her. She settled back against the sofa and watched as Ron went back to fussing over his new broom with Harry, although he seemed less happy about it now. She felt really bad and she sat in silence, her cheeks burning bright red as she worked out how she could make things better.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of a car pulling on to the drive. Hermione cast her eyes around the room; everyone was accounted for and the family had no further partners or friends who were planning on showing up today and especially not by car. She watched curiously as Molly stood and pushed the net curtains aside to look out of the window.

"Just in time for lunch…" The Weasley matriarch gave her youngest son a meaningful look. Curiously, Ron stood up and stowed his broom away somewhere out of Victoire's reach before offering a hand to Hermione. She just frowned at him, her heart pounding as the rest of the family watched them.

"Who's in the car, Ron?" She narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Why don't we go and see?" Ron smirked at Hermione and took her hand, forcing her up on her feet. He pulled her towards the front door and opened it wide, ignoring the blast of cold air that greeted them.

Hermione gasped as she watched the driver's side door open and her father stepped out. The middle-aged man hurried around the car and pulled open the passenger side for her mum. Hermione felt Ron's arms wrap around her from behind and she could feel the smug smile on his face.

"And you thought I hadn't gotten you anything…" He nuzzled his head in her hair briefly before letting go of her, smiling as he watched her rush to greet them.

Hermione closed the gap between her and her parents quickly, wrapping her arms around them both at the same time. It had been months since she'd last seen them in person and although she was used to spending long periods apart from them, she'd grown a lot close to them while she was in living in Australia. She let out a laugh of joy at how nervous they looked; this would be their first time spending a whole day in the presence of this much magic.

She took both their hands and pulled them towards the Burrow, keen to start introducing them to the Weasleys. Her parents seemed overwhelmed at first by the small crowd of people, fighting to be the first to meet Hermione's parents properly.

"Don't worry if you don't remember everyone's names to begin with. If they're ginger, they're a Weasley – that's the best rule to follow…"

Hermione smiled as she watched her parents get pulled further into the Burrow and followed them eagerly. She wriggled her way through the group to Ron, who was waiting nervously by the fireplace, his hands jammed into his jeans pockets. She slipped an arm through his and leaned into him as she waited for her parents to make their way over to them.

"Of course, you know Ron already…"

Hermione's mum, Jean, was the first to step forward and offer Ron a hug. Hermione reluctantly let go of him and watched him move into her arms. Jean was completely dwarfed by him, but it didn't put her off.

"It's so nice to finally get to see you in person again Ronald. It's really not the same over Skype…"

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Ron as he was released from the hug, an amused smile on her face. "You've been using Skype?"

"Took us a few weeks to sort this all out. I've been taking scheduled calls with your parents for a while now, usually on the nights I don't stay with you. They already had their flights booked when they told you they weren't coming…"

Hermione bit back a laugh and resisted the urge to throw herself at Ron. He was always full of surprises and it completely bowled her over to find out how eager he was to learn more about muggle technology to do something nice for her. Of course, it was a sneaky prank to play; making her feel like he'd forgotten her Christmas present but she thought she might be able to forgive him.

The reappearance of Molly in the living room signalled to everyone that Christmas dinner was ready. Arthur appeared at Jean and Malcolm's side and offered to escort them through to the table, questioning them about aeroplane mechanics as they moved.

Hermione reached for Ron as the room emptied, pulling at his arm to hold him back. Once they were alone, she turned to him with a huge smile.

"You are a sneak… first the hotel room and then this…"

Ron wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight to him. "I'm an enigma. But seriously, it was so hard keeping all of this from you; especially when you were upset about them not coming home. I almost told you there and then that they were coming so that it would cheer you up!"

She buried her head against his chest and held him for a brief moment before letting go of him. "Is your mum okay with the extra mouths to feed?"

"You're kidding right?! She's been desperate for a chance to meet them properly for years and she's warned the whole family to be on their best behaviour. My dad has been rabbiting on for weeks about getting a chance to grill them about muggle things…"

"Because he doesn't know anyone who's lived in the muggle community…" Hermione laughed and led him into the kitchen, swinging their hands happily between them. The kitchen table, and probably the kitchen itself had been magically enlarged to fit the entire tribe in and as Hermione sat down next to her mum, she marvelled at Molly's ability to cater for the hundreds without seemingly breaking a sweat.

Hermione had never experienced a Weasley Christmas at the Burrow. The one time at Grimmauld Place had been overshadowed by the threat of war and Arthurs injuries. She was glad she had her parents by her side so she could experience it with them too. It was loud and there wasn't a moment where one of the family wasn't telling a joke or arguing with each other. There had been an epic game of Monopoly, which had resulted in Percy flipping the table when he'd discovered George had been magically duplicating his money when nobody was paying attention and Ron finally suffered a defeat in chess when he took on Malcolm. Mr Granger had been excited to use the magical pieces, although Hermione had to tell the players where to go as they seemingly didn't take orders from muggles.

When they weren't playing board games, Hermione found herself tucked away in the corner of the house with her parents, catching them up on her progress with Dobby's Law or boasting about Ron's performance at Auror Academy. There had been a constant flow of food for them to eat, even though most of them had been stuffed after the massive roast dinner Molly had presented them with.

The evening drew in and the Weasley tradition of listening to Celestina Warbeck signalled the end of the night for most of the family. Hermione settled on the loveseat to listen to the music and had happily let Victoire climb into her lap. She stroked the toddler's hair as she started to drift off to sleep and surveyed the room, feeling a peace wash over her. Ron was sat in the corner of the room, his head bent close to Bills. The pair of them were probably discussing his new broom; Ron hadn't stopped talking about it all day. Her parents were chatting happily away with Molly and Arthur, helped greatly by the free-flowing wine and eggnog. Hermione let her eyes drift back to Ron.

Ron felt a pair of eyes on him. He lifted his head and gave Hermione a smile before wrapping up his conversation with Bill. He wandered over to his girlfriend and dropped on to the loveseat next to her.

"You're now the chosen one… Victoire is fussy over who she naps with…"

"She's probably just exhausted and I had the closest available lap…" Hermione smiled as Ron gave her a quick kiss.

"Do you fancy getting some fresh air with me? Celestina is giving me a headache…"

"Sure… that will be nice…"

Ron stood up, carefully pulling his niece into his arms. Hermione watched as he expertly passed her over to Bill without her even stirring. She let their parents know that they were going before heading to the back door to wrap up warm. Once Ron was in his winter coat, she took his hand and headed out into the cold.

The couple walked together slowly, gravitating towards their spot in the field down by the lake. It had been a while since they'd been there – the months had flown by since Harry and Ginny's wedding. Despite the earlier threats of snow, the field was still clear, the frosted grass crunching under their feet.

"I'm surprised you didn't force me out for a fly on your new broom!" Hermione turned to Ron teasingly once they got to the lake.

"It's not quite the weather for it today. If it doesn't snow tonight, there may be a family game of Quidditch tomorrow!"

"That will be nice, my parents would love to watch that…."

"Good! Do you think they've enjoyed themselves?"

"I think they have… the busy-ness must have been overwhelming at first, but it seems they've adjusted to it."

"Good… mum was grateful for the chaos…"

"I invited mum and dad to come and stay with me for the rest of the week at Primrose Cottage, so they're not stuck in a hotel room, but the way they're getting on with Molly and Arthur, I wouldn't be surprised if they stay here!"

Ron laughed. "Mum would love that…"

"I know…" Hermione gave him a smile.

Ron smiled back as the conversation came to a natural end. He shifted a bit nervously, which didn't go unspotted by Hermione.

"Are you okay Ron?"

Ron looked surprised by the question. "I kind of had an ulterior motive for asking you out for a walk tonight…" He shoved his hands into his pockets, looking like he was fumbling with something. He looked so nervous; Hermione was worried he was on the verge of proposing. She quickly tried to organise her thoughts as her heart started pounding. What would she even say if he asked? Were they even ready to get married?!

"I've been thinking about what happened at the hotel and the conversation we had yesterday morning. Bill asked how our night had gone and we had a bit of a chat and I think I've worked out why we keep on having the same argument…" Ron was staring at his feet now, afraid to make eye contact with her and Hermione felt her stomach plummet; now it was sounding like he was going to break up with her.

"Why's that?" Hermione took a deep breath, knowing she had to face whatever he was planning on throwing at her with a brave face so as not to let it completely ruin her Christmas.

"I think we're kind of seeing our relationship a bit differently…" Ron's brow was creased in concentration. He was trying hard to set out what he meant in a way that wouldn't upset Hermione – an indication that he'd matured over the years since he'd left school. He still found it difficult to voice his thoughts, which often made him feel frustrated but he knew he had to push forward with this.

"I think I'm seeing this as something completely brand new but you still see it as a continuation of where we broke things off last year as if the seven months in between didn't happen. Neither is bad, but I think while we're still on different tracks things will still be difficult. Like you getting upset whenever I mention Lavender. We were apart when I was with her, but I think you kind of see that as me cheating on you…"

He lifted his head, his heart pounding as he watched her digest what he'd said. If he'd read Hermione's mood right, they'd be able to work this out but if he hadn't; he may have just thrown away the best thing in his life.

It took Hermione a while to think about what Ron had just told her. In the past, she might have felt offended by the stark truth being laid in front of her, especially because she hadn't been the first person to realise it, but instead she felt been floored by his honesty. His maturity in his approach completely changed her perspective on everything. And scarily, it was ringing true in her mind too. She had been seeing things as a continuation of what they had been before – but was that the right thing to do?

"I…. wow… this has come completely out of the left-field…" She let out a shaky breath. "I think I understand what you're saying though. Thank you for being honest with me, Ron. I think you're right…" The admission scared her. She'd been working hard to get things 'back to normal' for them, not realising that maybe normal wasn't what they needed. "We're not Ron and Hermione from last year…"

Ron shook his head. "Sorry if this has come as a bit of a surprise for you. I have been thinking about it this afternoon and I didn't want to wait until after Christmas to talk to you. That wouldn't have been fair. We're not Ron and Hermione from last year, far from it and it's not a bad thing. We've both had to do a lot of growing up since the war, a lot has happened…"

Hermione nodded in agreement. "I think that's the problem. I've been hanging on to everything we went through and not realising that what we have now is stronger and more brilliant than before…" She felt tears come to her eyes. "We wouldn't have been able to have a conversation like this before…"

"No, you're right… I wouldn't have been able to face it. I liked to hide away from dealing with stuff…" Ron laughed softly. "I was just happy to do the things that kept you happy, even if they didn't feel right to me. And I think you did the same. Sometimes, I think you're walking on eggshells because you're worried you'll upset me. I don't want you to do that." He reached back to scratch his neck, a sign to Hermione he was still feeling nervous.

"Thank you for being brave and talking to me about this tonight Ron…" Hermione stepped closer to him and slid her arms around his waist, smiling as he immediately wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head against his chest. "What do we do now?"

Ron kissed the top of her head then rested his head on top of hers, letting out a heavy sigh. "I think maybe we should go back to the Burrow and enjoy Celestina's encore before the family miss us. Then I think maybe I should give you a few days to enjoy your parents' company. I still want to talk to you, every day if I can but I think it's really important you spend some time with them, they've missed you loads and they've come a long way to see you. Maybe I can come to the airport with you to see them off and then we can decide how we're going to move forward with everything?"

"This isn't us breaking up though, is it Ron?"

"What? No way!" Ron pulled away enough so he could look down at her. "This is us making things stronger. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I don't want to lose it. I plan on showing you tonight just how much I mean that too…" He nudged her softly before pressing a kiss against her lips.

Hermione let herself get lose in his kisses, her arms drawing tighter around him. What Ron had told her felt like it had come out of nowhere, hitting her like a barrage of bludgers but at the same time, it made sense to her. They needed to have a sit-down, proper adult conversation about things instead of arguing and immediately making up again if they ever wanted to stop the never-ending cycle.

Hermione eventually had to break away for breath, using shorter kisses to fill the gap. It felt like if she stopped kissing him, she'd never get him back.

It was Ron who eventually stopped the kisses properly, lifting his hand to run a thumb under her eye to get rid of the tears.

"We need to get back or you may miss your parents leaving for the night. I know you'll want to make sure you have plans put in place for tomorrow…" He rubbed his nose against hers before taking hold of her hand firmly and starting to walk back up to the Burrow with her.


	23. The Granger Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione spends New Years with her parents and leaves a small surprise for Ron at his flat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your support with the last chapter. I was so anxious about doing something like that. It's time to learn a bit more about the Grangers and see how Hermione and Ron are handling the small amount of time apart! Enjoy xxx

Muggles always describe the days between Christmas and New Years as a sort of limbo. Nobody truly knows what day it is, only that time merges into a mishmash of seeing family and friends, parties, awful movies and eating all of the cheese out of the fridge. For Hermione, usually so in tune with when in time she was situated, it felt rather similar to her. Her parents had driven her back to Primrose Cottage after spending Boxing Day with the Weasleys in their hire car. Her goodbye to Ron was bittersweet; they had spent hours discussing the pro's and con's of spending some time apart but by doing so, she felt she'd grown even closer to him. They had never struggled to talk about their thoughts and feelings before, but now it felt that nothing was off the table. She really wasn't looking forward to spending some time apart from him.

They had decided that he would stay away, at least physically, so that Hermione would have a proper chance to catch up with her parents. There had been a few awkward questions at first but luckily, George had announced last minute on Boxing Day that he needed a few extra pairs of hands to help him set up the new shop in Hogsmeade. He wanted to be open in time for the start of the new school term; so Ron and his brothers, including Harry, had volunteered. This had the added bonus that Hermione had a ready-made excuse for Ron's absence.

Unable to keep away from him completely, she had taken to flooing Ron in the evenings once her parents had gone to bed, choosing to speak to him via her fireplace rather than visiting him. They had spent at least an hour a night catching up on the day's activities before starting to pick apart the conversation they'd had Christmas night.

It was mentally exhausting, but they'd hit a major breakthrough when Hermione admitted to Ron she didn't like the idea that he'd been with someone else; it sometimes made her feel like "just another girlfriend", something that took Ron a couple of hours to persuade her that she was definitely more than that to him. There had been small arguments over the week; they both felt passionate about their side of things, but they'd worked together to overcome them.

Hermione filled the time she wasn't speaking to Ron by showing her parents the small village at Ottery St. Catchpole and her favourite places around Devon. They'd browsed the Christmas markets in Exeter and spent hours walking along the beaches at Instow and Woolacombe. However, she constantly felt like there was a Ron-shaped hole following her around.

Despite the separation, Hermione found the week had passed pretty quickly and New Year's Eve was soon upon her. Her parents had opted for their usual quiet affair and Hermione had been happy to accommodate them. Ron had warned her that he was planning on attending in inaugural New Years Eve party at the Leaky Cauldron with his siblings. He'd invited her to go with him, but Hermione had politely declined. She didn't think that consuming copious amounts of alcohol was the best idea, given the current state of their relationship.

Instead, her mum had cooked them a delicious lamb roast and the three of them had eaten it around her kitchen table. It was nice to enjoy a meal without worrying about a Weasley stealing her second helpings.

Granger family rules dictated that whoever cooked get to skip the washing up, so Hermione had sent her mum to relax in front of the TV whilst her and Malcolm go to work. Hermione has been making a conscientious effort to limit the amount of magic she was using around them and she relished the opportunity to do it by hand with her dad.

Hermione sunk her hands into the bowl of warm water and started washing up in silence. The sound of the television was just audible from the other room. It was Malcolm who finally broke the quiet.

"So, I know he's been working at his brother's store, but I was at least expecting to see Ron in the evenings. Did we scare him away?"

"He doesn't want to face being beaten at chess again!" Hermione laughed softly. "He just thought it would be good for us to have time to catch-up. He tends to monopolise my time when he's around…"

"Well, that's good to hear. Though I don't think me or your mum would have minded if he were here. We like him."

"I like him too, he makes me happy Dad!"

"Good! I may seem like a quiet dentist and not much of a threat, but even without magic I would be able to find a way to sort him out if he ever did anything to upset you…"

Hermione smiled at her dad as the conversation went quiet again. She concentrated on getting a stubborn piece of grease off a pan, the talk she'd had with Ron at the forefront of her mind again; just like it had been for the past week. She hadn't spoken to anyone about it – her closest friends were Harry and Ginny and Betsy. It didn't feel right for Hermione to speak to Harry and Ginny about Ron and Betsy wasn't very good at providing advice about human relationships. She usually just fed Hermione cake and patted her on the shoulder.

As a teen, Hermione tended to be a bit distant with her parents; only telling them what she thought they needed to know. She had been terrified that if they had known exactly what she had been up to, the dangerous positions she had been in almost constantly; they would have demanded she left the school. Hogwarts had given her something she'd never had before; true friends and being torn away from them would have destroyed her. She also firmly believed that the less her parents knew – the less valuable they'd be to Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

During her time in Australia, she'd learnt to open up more to them – although she'd still been guarded about what she had told them. She was working on increasing what she did disclose to them and figured she had a great opportunity to test the waters with them a little bit more. She had always been a daddy's girl and found it a lot easier to speak to him than her mum.

She concentrated on the dishwater, so as not to have to look her Dad in the eye. "Actually, I was the one who upset him…"

"Oh yeah?" Malcolm frowned at his daughter, leaning against a counter.

"Yeah, but not recently… last year…" Hermione frowned as she tried to work out the best way to explain what had happened. She was very aware that she wasn't currently making very much sense.

"When I broke up with him last summer, but we argued about something the night before Christmas Eve and then Christmas Night we talked about it a little more…"

"Was that when you went out for a walk? You did seem a bit off when you got back…"

"Did we? We were trying our best to act normal…"

"Sometimes, that's the thing…" Malcolm took the next plate off his daughter and started to wipe it dry. "You try so hard to look normal, you look uneasy. You're very good at hiding most things Hermione, but you'd be surprised at how much me and your mum actually know."

Hermione smiled as she washed the next pan. "He thinks I'm a bit stuck in our past relationship…"

"What do you mean?"

"He thinks I want what we had before, that I can just fix everything and we can forget the last year happened but he's focussing more on creating a new relationship and looking for new shared experiences."

"I see…" Malcolm stopped drying up to look at his daughter. "And how do you feel about that?"

Hermione pondered the question for a moment. "I guess I feel guilty that I was the one who broke things off but he's right. I want to move forward with him…"

"I think that's a good decision to make. I'm glad you're planning to keep him around – I rather like him. He's very good at chess and it's nice to play against someone who may eventually beat me." Malcolm chuckled to himself. "You're an old soul Hermione and you definitely prefer things to stay the same way if you can. Considering all the adventures you've had and I'm pretty sure your mother and I only know about half of them, you're still quite set in your ways. I don't think it would hurt you to relax a little more and go with the flow. You like to plan ahead. Don't change too much though. I reckon that boy is besotted with you just the way you are…"

Hermione blushed bright red but smiled. "I think you're right dad. We've been calling each other once you and mum have gone to bed. We've talked a lot this past week."

"Sounds like a pretty grown-up thing to do. I think the two of you will be fine, you just need to work out a way to show him that you want the same things. Will we get to see him before we leave?"

"Yes!" Hermione pulled the plug out of the sink and turned to lean against it as it drained. "He's going to meet us in London and travel to Heathrow with us. If Arthur didn't have work he probably would have tagged along too. Ron's only been to the airport once before…" She winced as her father's eyes lit up. "Do no use this as an opportunity to wind him up, Dad!" She pointed a warning finger at him, laughing as she flicked bubbles at him. "He's very excited and he loves spending time with you!"

"I'll be on my best behaviour!" Malcolm made the 'cross my heart' symbol then held his arms out for his daughter.

Hermione smiled and stepped closer to him, nestling into the hug. "All couples have ups and downs, it's not only about the fun times. You two will survive this – you are strong and you continue to impress me and your mum daily!"

"Thanks, Dad…" She pulled away and distracted herself by topping up their wine glasses, she'd started to get a little misty-eyed by what her dad was saying.

They soon joined her mum in the living room and spent the rest of their evening split between a game of Scrabble and watching the Hootenanny. The fireworks over London were spectacular and as Hermione watched them play out on her television, she wondered if Ron was out in the crowds watching them too. Ever the child, he absolutely loved fireworks and although Hermione never saw the point in them, she would happily endure them for him. Of course, muggle fireworks weren't quite as grand and special as magical ones but they still caught his interest. She fondly remembered how excited he'd been to learn that muggles loved them as much as him.

Her parents retired to bed soon after midnight; like her, they were creatures of habit and preferred an early night and Hermione was left sitting alone in the living room, not quite ready for bed yet. She sighed heavily. Despite the fact they'd not even been apart for a week, she missed Ron the most during the late hours and especially at bedtime. Sleeping without him next to her was difficult; she'd gotten used to the weight of his body in the mattress next to her, his soft snores and the gross heat that always radiated from his body. She knew that she would eventually have to get used to him being away from home whilst on Auror missions, but the thought didn't seem to placate her much.

She also hated the fact she'd turned into someone who pined for their lover. It wasn't as if they were completely joined at the hip yet. They still spent some nights apart, although these were getting increasingly rarer as their relationship progressed. The thought of knowing he would be there when she got home from a difficult day at work; whether they'd arranged to be at her cottage or his flat, always helped her to survive even the most difficult situations and meetings.

Hermione collected up their dirty wine glasses with a sigh and carried them through to the kitchen. Her eyes fell on the trays of leftovers on the kitchen counter. It was odd for them to have leftovers after a family meal; Hermione was now used to her plates being almost licked clean whilst Ron was around and she knew he would have loved her mother's cooking. She found herself automatically putting together a plate for him. He was still out drinking, but he always came home hungry. As an afterthought, she added a plate of dessert then set a long-lasting warming charm and apparated straight into his London flat.

The room was dark, although the noise of the New Years celebrations still echoed around the London streets. The city was always fantastic for a party and Hermione briefly considered leaving the plate of food and heading to the pub to catch up with everyone, but she didn't want to infringe on his time with his brothers or for him to think she was checking upon him. There was a good possibility that Lavender was there and the last thing she wanted, given their conversation the other night, was for Ron to think she didn't trust him around her. In fact, Hermione felt the complete opposite – as soon as the thought of Lavender being there entered her mind, it left again. She was truly unbothered by it; a great indication of the work her and Ron had done over the last few evenings.

Hermione turned on the light and was immediately surprised by how neat and tidy the flat had been kept. Usually, Ron was a whirlwind of mess and noise. Everything had been tidied away and it even smelt nice. She wandered through to the kitchen and left the plates of food where he could easily find them. After a second thought, she conjured a jar of bluebell flames and left them next to the food, ensuring the surrounding unit was placed under a fireproof charm just in case. She then found a scrap piece of parchment and wrote on it, spellotaping it to the plate.

She briefly entertained the thought of just getting into his bed and waiting for him to get home but decided against it. She had her own very comfortable, albeit very empty bed at home and she really didn't fancy getting woken up by his drunken stumbling around in the early hours, especially as tomorrow was her last full day with her parents. She smiled as she checked his flat one last time before turning off the light and apparating home, hoping her parents hadn't noticed she wasn't there.

Across London, Ron was still outside the Leaky Cauldron with his family and friends, watching the fireworks display happily. He loved fireworks. Once the muggle displays had finished, George had set off some of his own inventions, adding to the magical atmosphere. He threw his arm over his sister's shoulder, smiling as she grinned back up at him. They all missed Hermione terribly, but it hadn't stopped them from having a good night. He hoped that Hannah would think the party was successful enough to make it an annual thing and so that Hermione could attend the next one with the rest of them.

Fortunately, not many people had asked where she was. The most important people knew she had her parents staying over, and nobody else's opinion mattered to him anyway. Once the fireworks were over, he followed the crowds back into the pub and ordered another beer with Harry. Ron wasn't drunk; he was just experiencing a delightful buzz that warmed him right down to his toes. It made him want to go and see her even more. If her parents weren't at her cottage, he probably would have risked splinching himself to apparate straight over.

"One more drink and then I'm going home, Harry!" He clinked his pint glass with his best friend's then started to drink. If he got to bed early enough, he'd have time to floo her in the morning before he headed off to the shop.

A few more drinks later and Ron stumbled through his fireplace, scratching his tummy as he let out a yawn. It had been a long day and he was very much looking forward to getting to bed. But first, he needed something to eat. There had been a buffet at the Leaky, but that had been hours ago. He wandered through to the kitchen without turning on the lights, smiling as he spotted the jar of bluebell flames and the plates sat next to it.

"Roast-bloody-dinner and a treacle tart?" He grinned to himself, unsticking the note from the plate and reading it.

"I love you and miss you too Hermione!" He stuck the note to his fridge then turned his attention to his meal. He ate it stood up at the kitchen counter then rinsed the plate off. He picked up the jar of flames, carrying them through to his bedroom. If he couldn't have his girlfriend in bed with him, this reminder of her would have to do. He pulled off enough of his clothes so that he'd be comfortable as he slept then got himself into bed.

Hermione was fast asleep when a bright blue light woke her. She propped herself up on her elbows, frowning into the light until it eventually took on the shape of a small terrier Patronus. The puppy sat on the end of her bed, a grin on its face.

It didn't say anything but instead, it stood up once it saw Hermione was awake and did a turn. She spotted it's wagging tail and laughed as the Patronus disappeared again. She and Ron had agreed that they'd use their Patronuses if they ever needed to send a message to each other. She knew that the terrier's visit tonight was Ron's way of saying thank you and letting her know that he was home safely. She closed her eyes and easily drifted back off to sleep.


	24. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and Ron finally reunite after a week apart; can they keep their hands off each other long enough to say a proper goodbye to her parents?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll be glad to know we have this and another chapter of pure Hermione & Ron fluff before we get back to house-elves and Auror training and all of that stuff. I've almost completely finished writing this fic now (although I have around 10 or so chapters to post) and I'm excited to see what you all think so don't forget to continue leaving reviews - they really brighten my day! <3 xxx

A couple of days later. Hermione found herself sat in the back seat of her parent's hire car as her dad drove them the short journey from Primrose Cottage in Ottery St. Catchpole to Exeter. Once they got there, her and her mum left him to deal with the paperwork in the hire office to wait outside and admire the city one last time. Hermione took advantage of the early hour to shrink down her parents' suitcases and slide them into her mum's handbag.

"Once we get to Heathrow, I can make them bigger so you can check them in. Otherwise, you might get a few strange questions at security…" Hermione gave her mum a wry smile.

Jean shook her head. "I still can't get over how easier your life is with magic!"

"Easy sometimes, but at least muggles aren't aware of the mortal peril they're under…" Hermione cursed herself as she saw her mum's scared look. "And neither do we, most of the time…" She linked her arm with her mum's as they waited for Malcolm to join them.

Instead of taking a taxi the family walked through the old city, making the most of the winter sun. It was cold and all three of them were wrapped up warm, but it was still quite early in the morning and the streets were quiet.

They didn't have long to wait before their train to London pulled into the station. They boarded the first-class carriage and easily located their seats. The train was quiet and by the time they were speeding through the country, they'd already been served breakfast.

Hermione much preferred to travel the muggle way; although it took longer, it was less likely to make her feel ill. Once breakfast was cleared away, she dug her book out of her bag, planning on taking advantage of the journey to finish it but before she'd even finished the second page, she had fallen asleep. She was woken two hours later by her mum shaking her shoulder.

"Hermione, love – we're getting close to Paddington…"

Hermione gave her mum a sleepy smile as she stretched out. She had been up quite late the night before talking to Ron; they had been far too excited about finally getting to see each other again. At first glance, the time spent apart physically had strengthened their relationship or so Hermione thought and she really couldn't wait to start building their future together. She felt her stomach flip in excitement as she pictured him stood waiting for her train to come in. She longed to kiss him, to run her fingers through his hair, to hear the rasp of his stubble as it scratched against her skin. She hoped he was wearing that nice grey wool coat she had bought him; she thought he looked really handsome in it. She quickly shoved the last of her things into her bag, before turning to watch the scenery as they entered London.

Ron had volunteered to apparate to Devon so that he could accompany Hermione and her parents all the way to London, but after a quick discussion, they'd agreed that it didn't make sense for him to leave London only to pay for a ticket to travel back there. By meeting them at Paddington, he would be able to stay in bed longer and given how hard he'd been working over the holiday, he wasn't going to turn that down.

Despite the opportunity to get a lie in that morning, Ron had woken up early anyway; he was far too excited to see Hermione again. He made himself breakfast and showered, singing to himself as he did. He debated shaving but remembered how much she had fussed over his stubble at the Christmas party. Maybe he should try and grow a beard? That would give him an extra 10 minutes in bed before work every morning, so sounded like a brilliant idea to him.

Ron dressed quickly before tidying up the flat. He wasn't sure what their plans were for after the airport, but he wanted to be prepared in case they came back to his. It made sense since they were going to be in London anyway. When he was finally happy with both his appearance and the flat, he locked up and apparated within the vicinity of Paddington Train Station. He was almost half an hour early, but he didn't want to risk the chance of not being there when she arrived. He felt so nervous, his stomach was like a bag of flobberworms and he regretted the extra slice of toast he'd stuffed into his face before leaving. He half-wished it was later in the day so he could have a beer to calm his nerves but instead, he settled on a takeaway coffee before finding a spot to wait where he could easily see her.

Hermione was at the front of the queue of passengers waiting at the train doors when it pulled into the station. One it had stopped against the station buffers and the doors had been unlocked, she was the first person off the train. She pulled her bag over her shoulder, forgetting about her parents momentarily as she walked so fast she was almost running towards the train station concourse. Her heart pounded as she tried to spot Ron amongst the sea of commuters and for a moment she worried he hadn't shown up or that he was running late. He'd promised her he'd be there to meet her.

Ron smirked as he finally caught sight of Hermione. She was looking around wildly and he laughed to himself as he saw a flash of annoyance cross her face. She was probably thinking he was running late. He may have been annoyed about it, but he was far too excited to see her again to really care. He thought about calling out her name, but before he could open his mouth all of the wind was suddenly pushed out of his lungs and his line of sight was obscured by her mess of curly hair. She had thrown herself at him so hard, he had been forced to take a couple of steps back to regain his balance. He buried his head into her curls as he wrapped his arms around her so tight, he was worried he might squash her.

Hermione let Ron hold her for a moment before she lifted her head from against his chest, seeking out his lips for a hungry kiss. She needed to show him just how much she'd missed him over the past week.

He laughed as he reacted, kissing Hermione back with a little more force. He felt one of his hands sliding up to tangle in her curls as he held her tightly to him, his heart pounding so hard, he was surprised it hadn't beaten right out of his chest. He didn't want to break apart from her, but he was painfully aware that they were in a public place and he was soon desperate for breath.

"If this is the reception I get every time we're apart, I'm going to insist we take regular breaks!" He rubbed his nose against hers.

"No way…" Hermione replied breathlessly, running her fingers along the collar of his wool coat. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again. There's bound to be a charm that will attach you to me for the rest of our lives…"

"And if there isn't I'm sure you'd be able to invent one," Ron smirked at his brilliant girlfriend. "I'd have to quit the Auror Academy…"

"Fine by me…"

Hermione was distracted by his lips. They were swollen and bruised from her latest assault. She ran the side of her finger along his stubble as she was eventually rewarded with a slower kiss. She tried to make it last for as long as she could, unbothered by the commuters trying to get past them.

Ron remembered a time when Hermione hated public displays of affection, although maybe that was just when she was stuck watching Lavender trying to mount him in the common room. Thinking back, even he would have been grossed out by that. Either way, he wasn't complaining about how eagerly she was kissing him now in full sight of what felt like all of London.

Once again, he forced his lips away and pressed his forehead to hers; trying hard to catch his breath. If this was how they were going to spend their day, it was fine by him. Their reunion had been much better than he'd imagined it, although they'd definitely have to get out of the public eye if the rest of what he'd dreamt of was going to happen.

"Hey, you…" He was still breathless when he spoke.

"Hello. I missed you…" Hermione gave him one last kiss before reluctantly letting go of him, taking a tight hold of his hand as they waited for her parents to catch up with them.

She laughed as her mum got to them first and wrapped an arm around Ron.

"It's so nice to see you again Ronald – even though it's just a brief visit…"

Ron blushed slightly, suddenly taking a great interest in his feet. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. George's shop is important to him. You'll be glad to know that it's ready for opening on Monday – although luckily I'll be back at Auror training by then! I'd rather that than the onslaught of Hogwarts students!"

Hermione smiled as Ron slipped into an easy conversation with her parents and they walked together to the ticket office. A short argument ensued between Hermione and her dad over who should pay for the train tickets but eventually, Malcolm stepped up to the cashier and bought four one-way tickets to Heathrow. On their way to the platform, Hermione got her own back by treating everyone to a round of tea and pastries.

They didn't have long to wait for the express train to the airport and soon they were sat around a table seat, eating their second breakfasts. In the jumble of boarding, Hermione found herself sat opposite Ron and she watched him fondly as he discussed chess tactics with her dad. Unable to resist, she slipped down in her seat a little bit and pressed her foot against his calf, stroking it softly. She saw the tip of his ears go pink and he caught her eye with a smirk. It was going to be hard for them to keep themselves decent whilst still with her parents and in public.

Soon enough, the Granger family and Ron found themselves making their way through the airport to the security gate. Check-in was quick; they had been one of the first groups in the queue as the desk had opened. Just like Hermione, Malcolm preferred to turn up at airports hours early 'just in case'. It was a concept Ron mostly couldn't comprehend. Why spend hours waiting around when there could be more fun things to be getting up to?

Hermione pouted at her parents as they got to security. She untangled her fingers from Ron's and stepped forward, letting them both pull her into a hug.

Ron felt a little like an outsider; he wanted so badly to be a part of the family like Hermione was for him but he recognised it was still early days. The Grangers hadn't spent a lot of time with him yet, although he was keen to change that. He waited patiently for her to be released and held his arms out for her as her parents walked through the security gate and disappeared from view.

He heard her sniffle against his chest and he sighed softly, kissing the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"We'll see them again soon Hermione…" He stroked her hair softly. "Maybe after I graduate, if we have the money, I'll let you take me on a plane to Australia and we'll go and stay with them for a bit yeah?" He felt her nod against his chest and smiled fondly. He marvelled how much easier he found it to say the right thing to comfort her these days and how little he put his foot in it or upset her. There would still be days when he didn't get it right, of course, but he always made sure to make a note of what he thought he'd done wrong so that he wouldn't do it again.

He stood holding her for as long as she needed and gave her a quick kiss when she finally pulled away.

"What now?" He gave her his patented Weasley smile, getting the desired smile from her.

Hermione took his hand again tightly and started to walk slowly back down to the main airport concourse.

They took their time, neither of them was in any rush to be anywhere; although Ron would not have protested if she'd apparated them straight to his flat from the middle of the airport so they could continue their reunion in his bedroom. He thought he was going to get his wish when instead of heading back down to the train station, she led him out of the main entrance and to a quiet corner away from the travellers and security cameras.

"I need cheering up…" Hermione gave him a weak smile. "Do you fancy spending the day with me in London?"

"At the flat?" Ron looked down at her in anticipation and pouted when Hermione shook her head.

"There's a place I want to take you. Do you trust me?"

"110%" Ron grinned at her and gave her another kiss.

"Right answer…" Hermione gave him a bigger smile and tightened her grip on his hand. Ron soon felt the familiar pull of side-along apparition and tried to make his body relax into it.


	25. Winter Wonderland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron and Hermione continue their reunion with a day out at the Winter Wonderland and then an evening reuniting in the best way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the day of posting this chapter (just in case it's not the 26th November when you're reading this) it's my birthday! 🥳 It's a bit of a strange one, being in a pandemic so I've decided to fill it with some delightful Romione fluff. Also, at the posting of this chapter I've completed NaNoWriMo, hurrah! I've been using Hermione's Nook tracker which included a list of to-do tasks to help us write. One of the prompts was to 'bring a bit of your world into the fictional world'. At some point during my birthday week, I would have visited the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park but for obvious reasons, it's not on this year. So I decided to take Hermione and Ron instead. I also joined a discord chat about writing smut, so I hope you can notice a bit of an improvement later on in this chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy (and happy Turkey day if you're celebrating today - there's still a lot in the world to feel thankful for!) xxxx

Ron felt his feet touch solid ground again and he cast his eyes around, trying to work out where Hermione had taken him. From the look of the buildings around them, they had landed in an upmarket area of London, far from the usual dingy alleyways they were used to apparating in to. He felt his skin tingle as Hermione slid her fingers against his and he took hold of her hand tightly. Ron watched her with an amused smile on his face as she started to pull him down the street. For such a small witch, she had a lot of strength.

"The good thing about this area of London is the side streets are always quiet; the tourists always stick to the main roads." She turned her head to give him a reassuring smile before leading him on to a busy London road. A quick glance at a nearby street sign told Ron they were now on Park Lane. They stopped at the curb and as he peered across the road, he could see Hyde Park and the glow of a fair further in the distance.

"What are we doing here?" Ron peered down at Hermione as they waited for the traffic lights to change.

"I thought a day at the Winter Wonderland would be a nice way to end our Christmas leave. My parents used to bring me here when I was younger and I thought if we really are going to start looking towards the future, maybe we should start creating some similar memories and new traditions. It could even be something we do with our own children eventually; if they're anything like you they'll love Christmas too!"

Ron felt his heart leap as Hermione started to discuss their future and his stomach plummet at the mention of their children. He never knew he could feel so many emotions all at the same time. Of course, they'd joked about having children; 10 in fact, but given the past week and the conversations they'd been having, the idea felt more serious now.

"Yeah, okay – in about 100 years…" He tightened his grip on her hand as they crossed the road. They joined the throngs of people heading towards the park, blending in well with the muggles. The crowds forced them closer to each other as they queued to get through the barrier.

"It's a bit busy though, love…" Ron tried his best to keep his grip on Hermione's hand as they were jostled around. He almost felt himself holding his breath. It wasn't that he was scared of the crowds, but the thought of being around all these muggles worried him a bit. Large groups of people always heightened his Auror senses and he wouldn't be able to use magic to protect them if it were needed. However, once they'd walked under the glowing archway that stood as an entrance to the market, the crowds started to disperse in various directions and Ron was grateful for the breathing space.

"Would I bring you somewhere where we'd be in danger?" Hermione gave him a wide smile and stopped in front of a signpost, pulling him to her to give him a quick kiss. "You'd hate it here before Christmas. It gets so busy you're shoulder to shoulder with everyone."

Ron returned her kiss then let the sensory overload steal his attention away from her. There were lights and noises everywhere; muggle Christmas songs blasting out of tall speakers, the shriek of the fairground rides and the sound of children laughing mixed with the tantalising smells of foods not known yet to Ron. He read the sign, trying to work out which way they should go first. He was in heaven.

Hermione laughed softly as she watched Ron's reactions. She tangled her fingers with his again and started to pull him towards the market first. They moved from stall to stall, Hermione waiting patiently for Ron as he picked up and examined every item. He couldn't believe how many different Christmas themed things muggles needed. Hermione had to shush him more than once; she was worried he was going to break the International Statute of Secrecy. They purchased a few trinkets for the family, most of them with Arthur in mind. Next year, they'd have to bring him; he would have a field day.

Ron and Hermione treated themselves to lunch from the Bierkeller and stood watching the carts rattle around the nearby rollercoaster as they ate German sausage. Hermione tried her best to explain the mechanics of the muggle rides and luckily, her description seemed to stop him from asking to ride one. She may have been sick if she'd had to force herself onto one of them; especially after the amount of food they'd eaten.

After lunch they wandered around for a bit longer until they started to feel cold. Although the day was bright and crisp, there was a chill in the wind and they stopped walking as Hermione let out a shiver.

"You cold, love?" Ron turned towards her, wrapping his arms around her. "Do you want to head home, or I could try and cast a warming charm?"

"I have a more muggle idea…" She reluctantly wriggled out of his grasp and led him back towards the main area of the fair, leaving him near to the ice-rink as she purchased two cups of mulled wine. She carried them back over to him, pushing one of the paper cups into his hand.

Ron took a sniff of it, almost coughing at the intoxicating fumes. "What's this?!"

"Mulled wine. It's like a red wine warmed up with a load of spices and orange in it…"

She leaned against the barrier of the ice rink and took a long drink, feeling the warmth from the wine course through her body. She wriggled her toes in her boots; willing the warm blood to travel down to them and thaw them a little. She smiled fondly as she watched Ron take a tentative sip of the wine before pulling a face.

"Don't like it?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

Ron shook his head and poured the remains of his cup into hers before throwing his rubbish in the bin. She turned around so she could watch the ice-skaters and she felt him move closer to her. She let out a happy sigh as he slid both arms around her waist and dropped his chin onto her shoulder. She rested her head against his as they stared out across the rink.

"You know, there are far better ways to get warm than drinking vile wine Hermione…"

Hermione grinned to herself, using the hand that wasn't holding her drink to pull him even tighter to her. She felt his entire weight press her into the barrier and she thanked the stars it was sturdy. She'd missed this; the way he held her and made her feel like everything would be okay, the way his body moulded to hers perfectly. It was like they were designed to be together, not that Hermione believed in that sort of thing.

The warmth of his body reached the extremities the wine hadn't yet thawed and Hermione turned her attention back to the ice; watching as a child and parent tentatively took their first strides with wobbly legs. This had been her favourite thing to do when she was younger; her parents would bring her into London yearly just after Christmas when the fair was quieter and they'd spend hours watching people on the rides and the skaters on the ice, laughing at the spectacular falls as they enjoyed eating their way around the market (strictly the savoury food of course). They'd never risk going out onto the ice themselves; her parents thought activities like that were far too reckless, but Hermione knew if Ron had wanted to skate she'd probably would have agreed to at least try it.

"So, what have you been doing whilst I've been with my parents?" He was standing so close to her she could feel his breath on the back of her neck and it was driving her crazy. She needed to get her head back on straight if she was going to survive the next few hours out in Muggle London with him.

"Mostly slave labour for George. I forgot how demanding he was. Every time we tried to rest; he'd just pull out the Fred card. 'Fred would want this shop to be a success, you know Fred is going to haunt you if you don't empty that box.'" Ron rolled his eyes. "I wonder when that will stop being a thing?"

"Probably never…" Hermione laughed softly.

"You're probably right. Aside from that, I just lazed around the flat. I polished my broom too…"

"Did you?" Hermione leaned her head back, a wicked smile on her face as the tips of Ron's ears went pink at the implication of what he said.

"That too…" He met her eye, his grin widening as they shared an understanding look.

Hermione maintained eye contact with him, keeping her voice low. "Well that seems unfair. I've been at home with my parents, missing you like crazy and there was nothing I could do about it…"

"About what?" He raised his eyebrows teasingly.

"You know…" She elbowed him in the stomach gently. "After some of those late night talks we had, I could have thrown myself into the fire at you…"

Hermione pouted up at him, trying her best to garner his sympathy. She let out an uncharacteristic squeal as Ron suddenly gripped her hip and pulled it back towards him with a low groan. Their barriers of coats and layers frustrated her; her fingertips craved to feel more than just his hand, they wanted to feel every inch of his skin, to trace patterns among his never-ending freckles.

Ron bit her lower earlobe softly. "Well that's your problem isn't it? I'd be happy to help you out as soon as I get you home though…"

Hermione gasped as she felt him press a trail of hot kisses from her ear and down her neck, lingering teasingly on her pulse point. He sucked softly at the skin and regarded the small bruise forming with a smile before moving lower. She heard him let out a small grumble under his breath as he got to barrier of her jumper and top and instead choose to slid his hand under the material and against the warm skin of her stomach.

"Fu-" Hermione bit back the swear that threatened to escape her lips. There was no way she'd give him the satisfaction of hearing it. "Your hand is so cold!"

"That's why it's under your jumper, it needs warming up! Apparently I'm not allowed to wear my mittens because someone wanted to hold my hand properly!"

"What? Who would do that?!" Hermione smirked to herself and turned her attention back to the skaters once more, still trying hard to stop her thoughts from gravitating towards what she really wanted to do to him as she felt his fingers dance along her skin.

"So, have you finished your wine yet? I think it's time we go back to mine, don't you think?"

Hermione rolled her eyes playfully but she gave his jawline a soft nip to show him she completely understood his intentions. She finished her wine with a flourish and passed the cup to Ron so he could put it in the bin then held her hand out for him, grinning as he immediately took it.

They started to make their way through the crowds and back towards Park Lane, in search of the quiet location they apparated in to. Eventually, the muggles started to thin out and, after checking their surroundings quickly, Hermione tightened her grip on him once more and apparated them to the landing outside his flat. She let her hand stroke against his back as she waited for him to unlock the door.

Ron kicked off his shoes as he stepped into the flat, starting to remove his layers. He tried his best to hang them up, not wanting to ruin the effort he'd put in to keeping the flat tidy whilst they were apart. He wanted to show Hermione that he was willing to take steps to do the things that kept her happy too. Once he was down to his jumper and jeans he moved to the thermostat, turning up the temperature in the room before throwing himself down on his sofa.

Hermione hung her coat and scarf by the door then turned to watch Ron for a moment. He picked up the TV remote and flicked through the channels until he found something they didn't have to pay attention to. Now that they were finally alone, she felt a small amount of awkwardness fall between them; something they'd never really experienced before. She headed into the living room quickly, keen to get talking to him and agree a way forward before anything else happened that evening.

Instead of sitting next to Ron on the sofa, she perched on the edge of the coffee table facing from him. From this spot, she could see him properly and would be able to gauge his reactions and feelings and she was immediately greeted with one of his warmest smiles that melted away all of her nervousness. She picked up one of his hands from where it rested on his knee, sliding her fingers over his palm and to his lower arm, dancing along the curves of the scars on his skin. It felt so good to be touching him again.

"I've missed you so much this past week. I know we've talked, but it hasn't been the same as having you sat with me and being able to touch you."

Ron's smile widened, the hairs on his arms standing up under the electricity of her touch. He loved the way her fingers knew the path of his scars without even having to look. He kept eye contact with her, gazing at her lovingly.

"I missed you too, especially New Years Eve. You would have loved the party. I do think the time apart was a good idea though; we've talked so much this past week!"

Hermione nodded. "I think so too, though I hate myself for turning into a girl who pines…" She wrinkled up her nose in distaste.

"You were pining for me?" Ron smirked.

"Don't tease me about it!" Hermione smiled. "I don't want anyone else knowing I'm that kind of girl…" She pouted across at him.

"Your secret is safe with me, I promise!" Ron shifted in his seat, leaning forward to get closer to her. "It feels good that we were able to discuss everything we did and neither of us were scared away. I was really worried you wouldn't want to see me, especially when we discussed what I saw in the locket…"

"That would never put me off Ron!" Hermione lifted her spare hand to push his fringe out of his eyes. "We all have our insecurities…" She blushed slightly as she remembered the night they finally dissected her feelings about him and Lavender.

"And have you thought more about how we're going to move this forward?" It was Ron's chance to feel nervous. He tightened his grip on her hand; despite the positive direction the rest of the conversation was taking. He sometimes wondered if those old insecurities the locket so cruelly shared ever really left him; or if they just got pushed aside until the most inconvenient moments.

Hermione took a deep breath. She had been practising what she wanted to say to Ron ever since her conversation with her Dad the other night.

"I'm ready to stop comparing our lives now to what it was before. Our friendship, the war, the abortion, me moving to Australia – they've helped us to mature and they've shaped our relationship but I'm not going to let them dictate us now. I don't want to dwell on any of it anymore. I want to focus on making new memories with you…

"I have been trying to think of how I could show you that I mean what I say, I didn't want it to just be words. I thought that… and I don't want you to feel pressured to say yes, it won't change how I feel about you… and it doesn't have to be mine or yours, we can compromise and find somewhere new and I promise I won't feel insulted…"

"Hermione, take a breath…" Ron laughed softly as Hermione started to babble, a sure sign she was feeling nervous. He gave her a reassuring smile and took her hand in both of his, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Willyoumoveinwithme?"

Ron raised his eyebrows, biting back the smile that threatened to spread across his face. It had obviously taken a lot of courage for Hermione to ask him, which was amusing in itself as he had also been planning to ask her exactly the same question. He felt that their time apart had just cemented the fact that they were ready to face the next step in their relationship.

"I'm sorry love… I think all the noise from the fair earlier messed with my hearing. What did you say?"

Hermione gave him a warning look; she could see the corners of his mouth twitched and could tell he was fighting the urge to grin. He was teasing her so she kicked him in the shin lightly.

"Ow!" Ron scowled and let go of her hand. "Stay there, vicious witch…" He got up suddenly and jogged lightly to his bedroom.

Hermione watched him go, feeling confused. She'd just asked one of the most important questions in her life and he had run off. She heard him rooting around in his bedroom drawers and swearing so he pushed herself up from the coffee table and wandered down the hallway, keen to find out what was going on.

"Do I not get an answer?" She leaned against the door frame, her eyebrows raised and her arms folded across her body.

Ron turned suddenly on the spot, a velvet jewellery box in his hand. He grinned as he spotted Hermione waiting for him and wandered over to her.

"I was going to give you this for Christmas and then we talked instead…" The tips of his ears turned pink as he remembered their conversation from Christmas night. He watched Hermione closely as she opened the box, revealing a long, delicate sliver chain with the emerald from her ring hanging from it, set into a new pendant.

"You turned my ring into a necklace?" She smiled up at him, tears in her eyes again.

"Yeah…" He carefully took the necklace out of the box and signalled for her to turn around so he could fasten it around her neck. "It was always my intention to give it back to you in some form. That's why I got so upset with you nagging me about it…" He laughed as Hermione turned back around and smiled down at it. He slid a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. "New experiences, new memories, right?"

Hermione chose not to respond. Instead she grabbed Ron by the back of the head and was pushing him towards her; not that Ron minded the sudden assault. Her lips were soft, he liked that about her and the fact that she didn't bother wearing lipstick or gloss or anything that would make the kiss sticky or gross. He felt her tongue brush against his lips and he parted them willingly for her; taking the opportunity to push the kiss deeper.

Ron slid his hands to her shoulder, pushing them painfully down her side. Hermione felt like every inch of her was on fire as she felt his touch through the light layer of clothing she still had on. This still wasn't enough. She broke away from the kiss long enough to pull her t-shirt over her head then started to tug at the hem of his.

She laughed as he held his arms up in the air for her and Hermione started to pull at the material, although she couldn't reach to finish the job. Ron grabbed her by the hips and pulled her towards the bed, sitting down as soon as the back of his legs hit the back of his mattress so that he was at a better height for her. As soon as the material was pulled over his head, he was rewarded by the sight of Hermione's white cotton bra at perfect eye level. He licked his lips before starting to press kisses over the material.

Hermione let out a happy sigh as she ran her fingers through his hair. This was her happy place; where she could be herself and not have to worry about what anyone thought about her. She arched her back as she reached back to unclasp her bra; inadvertently giving him better access to her chest.

"It's like you know what I want without me even asking…" Ron smirked and pulled her crashing down on to his lap. He moaned at the feeling of her skin against his and dropped his lips back to her chest, running his tongue against her nipple. He raised one hand, tugging at the other one and grinning as he heard Hermione groan his name. He slipped his spare hand down to her jeans, starting to pull at them.

He felt frustrated by their position and his lack of access to her body. In one swift move, he picked her up and lay her down on the bed, not being careful with his actions. He grinned as she laughed and placed his lips back on her breast. With her buttons now undone, he slid a hand under the waistband of her jeans and knickers.

Hermione let out a gasp as she felt his fingers slide along her and her hips involuntarily bucked against them.

"Fuck…" She bit down on her bottom lip. She didn't like to swear, so Ron knew she truly meant it when she did. Although it had only been a week apart, it felt like it had been even longer as he pressed his index finger into her. She felt the kisses move slowly from her chest and up her neck; the warmth of his breath on the column of her throat sending tingles all over her body. His stubble rasped against her skin and the myriad of sensations almost became too much for her.

It wasn't long before her pleasure started to build; Ron could sense it by the way she lifted her hips to meet his fingers. Cruelly, just as she started to feel the tension in her lower stomach start to uncoil, he removed his fingers from her knickers and started to pull off her jeans.

"That's really unfair…" She pouted up at him as she watched him pull the denim over her legs, taking her knickers and socks with them. He unceremoniously threw them across his bedroom. "I was so close Ron…"

"You know how much I love to tease you. Anyway, your jeans were in the way!"

Ron grinned down at her laying unabashedly naked on his bed, her new necklace sat in between her breasts. He'd heard her being referred to as a prude and stuffy before, but he knew differently. She was completely far from it, but he loved that it was a secret shared only between them. He raised one eyebrow as he watched her sneak a hand between her legs, letting out a groan as she started to pleasure herself.

"Now who's being a tease?!" He almost tripped over in his desperation to remove his own jeans and boxers.

Hermione laughed at his reaction as she slid a finger into herself, her laugh soon turning into a moan. It was okay for him; he'd been able to sort himself out over the past week but even with the ability to cast muffliato, she could not entertain the thought of masturbating with her parents in the bedroom next to hers.

"If you don't hurry up Ron, I'm going to sort myself out and then I won't have a need for you…" She threw a smirk at him as he climbed back onto the bed. He forced her hand away from herself, capturing her finger in his mouth and moaning at the taste. He positioned himself between her thighs and slid into her, the feel of her heat snug and slick around him almost pushing him straight over the edge. He hovered his lips over hers teasingly, grinning at her moan of frustration.

Hermione lifted her head, crashing her lips into his. Their teeth knocked together with the force, but instead of feeling mortified about it; the pair only laughed. She devoured him hungrily, the kiss lasting until they had to part and he breathlessly picked up the pace of his thrusts.

The week apart combined with the emotion of Hermione asking him to move in with her was almost too much for Ron to take. He tried his hardest to think of other things, but it was too hard with all the blood in his body pooling south. Despite his best attempts to put it off, he found himself groaning her name loud as he came hard, panting under the exertion.

He didn't give himself long to recover; as soon as his brain started processing normal thoughts again he shifted, forgoing the usual hot trail of kisses he liked to use as foreplay and wriggled down the bed until his head was between her thighs. Her scent was intoxicating and he lifted his head briefly as she swore again, giving her his patented Weasley smirk before dipping his head and pressing his tongue against her. He know it wouldn't take much to get her off now with the incredible way she was writing on the bed and the addition of his fingers curling into her soon pushed her over the edge. She came hard and he continued tasting their mixed pleasure until she pushed his head away firmly; too sensitive for him to continue.

Ron sat back on his haunches so he could admire her properly, looking very pleased with himself. "Well that was worth the wait!"

Hermione propped herself up on her elbows, laughing at him. "You're telling me. You know, you never did answer me…"

Ron frowned briefly, as if he was thinking before letting a huge grin erupt on his face. "Oh yeah, I guess I'll have to think about it!"

"Oy!" Hermione's face looked almost murderous as she frowned at Ron, causing him to flinch.

"Okay, okay… yes I'll move in with you! Not here though, my lease is almost up…"

Hermione laughed, pushing herself up and throwing herself at him. Ron crashed into the bed, letting Hermione get comfortable on top of him.

"Perfect! Primrose cottage it is then…" She kissed him, this time keeping it slow and loving. She marvelled at how perfectly everything worked out and how the two of them had managed to sort things out by talking instead of their usual shouting at each other.


	26. The Third Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron starts his third year of Auror training whilst Hermione gets an interesting offer from the Minister of Magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for your birthday wishes, and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter about the Winter Wonderland. Sorry this is a day late but I was a little hungover yesterday and didn't want to post under the influence. It's a bit of an in-betweeny chapter so I can get us back to Dobby's Law and the house-elf breeder saga. I hope you enjoy it! :-)

Hermione and Ron's post-reunion bubble, unfortunately, didn't last long and a couple of days later, they found themselves stood in the Ministry Atrium.

"But I don't want to go to training today…" Ron had tangled his fingers so tightly with Hermione's, she was worried he was going to cut off the circulation. He pulled playfully at her arm, a sullen look on his face. "I don't want work to ruin how I feel after this weekend…"

His spare hand gravitated towards the silver chain around her neck and he carefully picked it up, playing with it idly. They had spent almost all of the rest of the weekend in bed, only leaving the room to eat and Hermione hadn't once removed her necklace. They had even skipped the usual Sunday lunch at the Burrow; both of them had had enough family time recently.

Hermione smiled fondly at Ron. He was getting very good at delaying the inevitable. "I wish we could just live the rest of our lives only in bed, but the fun stuff would get boring if that's all we did. We need work to keep life interesting…" She took a quick glance around the atrium before leaning forward for a quick kiss from him.

"That's easy for you to say, you like work!" Ron kissed her back but pouted as she pulled away.

"You do too, deep down!"

She carefully untangled her fingers from his with another kiss. "Have a good day, I'll see you for lunch?"

"Yeah, I guess so, if that's the only chance I'm going to get to see you today…" He let out a dramatic sigh, scowling playfully as Hermione laughed at him. "Don't laugh at my misery. You're so mean…"

"And I love you too sweetheart…" She gave him a push towards the Auror Department, laughing again as he stomped away, but soon picked up his pace as he spotted Neville and Harry down the corridor. She watched him go until he disappeared then headed towards the elevator that would take her to her department.

Ron caught up with Harry and Neville and followed them towards the Auror briefing room. The trio knew the drill; the first day in work at the start of the year was always kicked off with a briefing and it would continue to be that way for their entire Auror career. Ron groaned as he spotted Robards waiting for them outside the briefing room.

"Looks like it's time for our yearly bollocking…" He muttered under his breath as they neared the Head Auror.

Despite his bravado amongst his friends, Ron gave Robards a respectful nod as they filed past him and took their usual seats in the room.

Harry settled into his own seat; his eyebrows raised at his best friend. The change in his mood from Friday to now was really noticeable. He'd gone from practically throwing boxes around the shop to walking with a bounce in his step in just a couple of days. He and Ginny had a suspicion that Ron and Hermione had done some "serious talking" during the week after Christmas and Harry had felt worried for his friends, it was only natural. Aside from Ginny, they were the most important people in his lives; he wanted them to be as happy as he was. In the past, Ron and Harry had avoided discussing their respective relationships but Harry had hoped that if one of them had needed it, they could come to him.

He made a mental note to remind them of this the next time he had a chance. Anyway, it looked like whatever they have been dealing with had been resolved.

"You seem happy, Ron…"

"I'm excited about starting our last year of training Harry. One more year and we'll be free!" Ron gave his best friend his biggest grin.

"And that's it? 'Cos I was wondering if your happiness had anything to do with you skiving family lunch yesterday…"

Ron gave Harry a look that showed him there was definitely more and he was about to tell him about his exciting weekend when Robards decided to let the door to the room close with a hard slam. The trainees knew better than to talk over the Head Auror, so they turned their attention to the front of the room.

"I'll tell you later…" Ron fixed his attention on his boss. He was determined to work even harder this year so that he could graduate at the top of his class and he had surprised himself by his willingness to put in the work to get there.

"Good morning trainees…" Robards waited for the chorus of greetings back to him, his hands folded behind his back.

"You are about to embark on your third, final and hardest year in the Auror Academy. Already, you'll have noticed your class has diminished in size, leaving us with only the best potential Aurors in your year. But that does not mean that you are allowed to rest on your laurels. The graduation date has been set, but I have no qualms about cancelling the event if I feel none of you meet the standard we have come to expect from our Aurors, and Minister Shacklebolt agrees with me.

"You will need to be in top physical shape. Any time that you are not in classes or on a mission, I expect you to be at the gym or putting in extra practice hours. You should now be able to draw your wand and duel within a nanosecond, so your reflexes will need to be fine-tuned and I expect you to be a walking encyclopaedia of charms, potions, and duelling spells. If I decide to test you, you will get 100% in that test.

"Your tutors will not be afraid to fail you at any point in the year and once you have failed, you will have to restart the whole three years again – if I decide to allow you back on the course. No exceptions, no coming and crying to me that life is hard and you need special considerations because there will be none.

"You will start to spend more time out in the field, so warn your mothers and partners that you could be asked to go away at the drop of a hat and potentially for days at a time. There will be longer training sessions and more exams and if you're not miserable by the end of this year, then you have not been training properly."

The Head Auror took the opportunity to take a breath and scanned the room for the Aurors who were left on the course. His eyes settled on the Weasley boy, who was sat with his arms folded across his chest and a huge puppy dog grin on his face. Despite the shit and additional paperwork he and the Potter boy had been through with Perch and that stupid house-elf mission, the trainee Auror was still as enthusiastic as ever. In contrast, Harry was sat with his head bent over his desk, furiously scribbling notes.

He shook his head; he wondered if they'd still be his best trainees at the end of the year.

"Today you will be partnered with first-year recruits. These are fresh; some of them will have come straight out of Hogwarts so you will need to show discipline and patience. Sometimes, the strongest spells aren't the most effective and I'd like to see you matching your wand work to the enemy you are facing. Brute force isn't always the answer.

"Finally, I'll remind you not to get distracted this year. There is a potential for you to lose your lives or worse, your careers. You are dismissed!"

Ron watched Robards walk out of the briefing room with a flourish of his cloak then turned to Harry and Neville. "Do you think he was talking about us when he mentioned about getting distracted?!"

"Probably," Harry smirked. "I think he underestimates the amount of 'peril' we've already been through. I was definitely getting Hermione vibes from him. You'd think the two of them would get along better!"

"Definitely – 'I'm going to bed before either of you get us killed. Or worse, expelled!'" Ron laughed as he mimicked his girlfriend, although not in the nasty tone he used to adopt when taking the piss out of her. "I'm pretty sure that's still her motto for life! That witch is mental…"

Harry laughed and started to follow his colleagues out of the briefing room and towards the changing room. "So why are you so happy today? You look like the Canons won the league…"

Ron scoffed. "Unlikely! They haven't won since 1892 and I doubt they'll make a start any time soon. Ginny could probably play for them and they wouldn't still be able to win! Look, I think Hermione wants to tell you at lunchtime, so just act surprised when she does but we decided over the weekend to move in together!"

"That's great news!" Harry clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Although to be honest, I thought you were already living in Primrose Cottage with her…"

"Nah, I still go back to the flat occasionally. My lease is up in a month or so, so it was inevitable it was going to happen sooner or later!"

"Oh, that's so romantic. I bet Hermione was pleased with that offer…" Harry smirked as he yanked open his locker door.

"Actually, she asked me. Although I was planning on asking her but she beat me to it!" Ron leaned against his locker, frowning momentarily at his best friend. "Have you got any tips?"

"For what?"

"Living with a girl and specifically Hermione. We've spent a lot of time together, but I've always had the flat to escape to if I'm starting to annoy her. I've never actually lived with a girl properly and the year the three of us spent in that bloody tent does not count."

Harry closed his locker door again so he could see Ron better. He considered his answer carefully. Life with Ginny had been pretty plain sailing so far, but they'd always been good at communicating with each other and they rarely argued. Ron and Hermione could argue over who had started their arguments and Harry was pretty sure that it was one of their favourite things to do.

"Don't listen to other people's horror stories because it will put you off for life. People will try and scare you; they'll tell you it will only make the two of you miserable but if you're both willing to put in the work you'll be fine and I'm pretty sure the two of you are okay with that. Also, you'll find her hair everywhere…"

Ron wrinkled his nose up in disgust and opened his own locker door, starting to get changed for duelling practice. "That's gross Harry…"

"Tell me about it…"

Harry gave his best friend a knowing look then continued getting changed.

Meanwhile, Hermione was waiting to be called into Kingsley's office. Dobby's Law was due to be officially instated next week and Hermione had been invited to present her final communication plans to the Minister. Luckily, she'd ensured she had completed it before leaving for her Christmas break but had spent the morning familiarizing herself with it anyway. This was the final hurdle and if Shacklebolt approved her plans, all she'd have to do is sit back and wait for release day.

Hermione continued her pacing until she heard the heavy wooden door being opened. She took a breath and put the biggest smile on her face before turning to look at the Minister.

"Miss Granger…"

Kingsley gave her a friendly smile in return and opened his office door wider, inviting her to come in. Hermione followed him in after letting out a shaky breath. She sat down in the seat opposite him and passed over the file.

"Hopefully, your secretary passed you a copy of my plan before Christmas, but I thought I should bring it with me today just in case."

The Minister flicked briefly through the paperwork before closing it with a smile. "Yes, I read it last week and I was highly impressed. Dealing with all the press in once conference is better than holding individual meetings and I also liked the idea of inviting house-elf owners and anyone else interested to a town hall so that they have the chance to ask questions. I have asked Delilah to start sending out invites already. I've added a few additional questions to your FAQ script, just some different angles for you to consider…"

The minister tapped the file with his wand, and the questions started to write themselves onto the parchment. "So after the release next Monday, your work on Dobby's Law will be done. Are you still confident that Betsy can head up the new department?"

"Absolutely…" Hermione smiled at Kingsley.

"Betsy knows the law and its implications inside out and we've put together a solid team to man the new department. She has grown in confidence since she first started working with us and although she'll be sad to leave Hogwarts permanently, she's enjoying living in the sanctuary with the other elves. I'll continue to deal with the press until all the attention has died down and the law has moved into business as usual."

"You've thought of every aspect, as per usual." Kingsley passed the file back to Hermione and sat back in his seat, pressing his fingers together as he regarded the young witch. "So, have you given any consideration as to what your next project might be?"

"I really want to get my translation of the Tales of Beedle the Bard published. Professor McGonagall sent me Dumbledore's commentary on the stories and I'm going to use them to write the foreword. I was hoping that I could have permission to use the library here at the Ministry to work when I need to?"

"That's fine Miss Granger. You can retain your pass and your credentials." Kingsley pulled open a drawer in his grand oak desk and dug around in it before pulling out an envelope with a small smile. "Well I don't want to put any pressure on you, but MACUSA has caught wind of the good work you have done here with Dobby's Law. They've written to me to see if you'd be interested in implementing something similar there."

Hermione took the envelope with a curious smile. She could see the seal of MACUSA on it, although she didn't know a lot about the American Ministry of Magic. She opened the letter, reading it quietly to herself.

"That's definitely an intriguing opportunity." She folded the parchment back up and offered it to Shacklebolt.

"You can keep it. I really hope you'll consider the offer carefully, Miss Granger. You're bound for great things and you're already making a huge impact with the work you're doing, especially considering the fact you've only been out of school for 18 months. You need to consider your career moves carefully and MACUSA is a powerful entity. I believe you'll do very well over there…"

"I have always wanted to go to New York!" Hermione let herself consider what her life might be like in the huge city, but her stomach lurched as she considered what Ron's thoughts on the offer might be. She bit back a sigh and forced a smile back on to her face.

"Thank you, Kingsley. I will definitely consider it."

She carefully slid the letter into the pocket in her robes and stood up.

"Of course, if you don't want to go to America then I can help you find something here." The Minister stood up too and leaned across his desk to offer Hermione his hand to shake. "I'll see you on Monday morning at the press conference."

Hermione left the office, checking her watch as she moved. She was due to meet the boys for lunch in half an hour. If she was quick, she would have time to go to the library and check out a few books before going to grab Betsy and hide her letter in her bag.

She had already decided to do a bit of research so she could fully understand all the implications of the offer before she broached the subject with Ron and although she knew she shouldn't leave it too long before speaking about it to him, she definitely didn't want to do it while she was having lunch with Harry.


	27. Dobby's Law

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The launch day of Dobby's Law finally arrives.

Hermione stood on the small stage in the Ministry Conference room, her fingers gripping hold of the podium tightly as she watched the seats in front of her slowly fill up. Her fingers had started to ache and she was pretty sure her knuckles were turning white, but the sensation was helping to ground her which in turn helped her stomach settle. It wasn't like her to feel this nervous; although she had never relished speaking in public, she was usually able to keep her cool long enough to deliver her message and to be able to speak calmly.

Her 9 am press conference had gone as well as could be expected. There had been a few questions about the details of the law, but Hermione and Betsy had been prepared with answers for all of them and nothing had thrown her off her sales pitch. Of course, there had been a few questions about her personal life and weirdly, a couple about Harry but these had been easy to ignore or divert and Kingsley, who was there to moderate the session, hadn't even had to intervene.

Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that the press conference had almost gone too well and had lured her into an easy false sense of security. She was now waiting for the public Town Hall event to start. This was an opportunity for anyone who had a house-elf working for them and any other interested parties to come and ask questions about the new law.

Although they'd been receiving pamphlets through their letterboxes and there had been announcements over the Wizarding Wireless Network all week, they needed to have their chance to relay their worries to Hermione and Kingsley. Soon, they would be asked to give up their ownership rights of the elves and ensure that the circumstances in which they worked under were up to the new levels of standards. It was going to be a massive change and families, understandably, were worried about the implications.

It was going to create a lot of work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement too. Any family refusing to sign up to the new law would be allowed a series of warnings before being fined and potentially, they could lose their house-elf completely. Not only that but if the elf were found to be mistreated it would be a punishable offence. It was going to take a while, but Hermione had hoped that by the end of the year, every elf in the country would be free to choose where they wanted to work and free to pursue other interests in their downtime.

The chairs in the room soon filled up, as did every available inch of standing space. A low rumble of conversation filled the room although it didn't help Hermione to relax. The one good thing about living in the magical community was that everyone seemed to know each other and Hermione smiled slightly as she watched friends greet each other and wizards and witches jostle each other for seats so they could sit by the people they knew. Along the front row, the smaller seats were filled with some of the elves Hermione spoke to during her development of the law.

Hermione scanned the crowd for Ron even though she knew he wouldn't be there and the chances of him being able to skive off work to see her were slim to none. Although a handful of Aurors had been placed strategically around the room to act as crowd control, Robards had refused to allow Ron and Harry to join the team working the event. Every time they had gone back to his office to plead for him to change his mind, the Head Auror had reminded them of his warning that they were not allowed to get involved in Hermione's work again. Hermione smiled fondly as she remembered how long Ron had sulked about it. After one last attempt to get on the rotation, Robards had assigned both Harry and Ron to practice duelling with the first-year recruits so that they couldn't even attend as civilians.

The news that Ron wasn't going to be at the event, even as moral support was a bit of a blow to Hermione's confidence. After her meetings with the Wizengamot, she thought that a room full of purebloods would be a walk in the park but the stress of everything had caused her nightmares to make a reappearance and Ron was the only person who was able to calm her down. Although she pretended she didn't care, the Wizarding community's opinion on her was still pretty low and the introduction of such a controversial law was not going to help that. All she wanted was for the law to be a success.

Hermione's attention was suddenly drawn to the side of the stage as Claire Radford and Kingsley made their way towards her, signalling that the Town Hall meeting should start. She prised her fingers from their tight clutch on the podium and took a step back. Although Hermione would be fielding the questions, the Minister wanted to open the meeting and remind its attendees of the need for respect during questioning.

She took her seat as Kingsley made his opening remarks, her foot tapping nervously against the wooden stage; a habit she'd probably picked up over the years from Ron. He would be highly amused if he could see the way she was acting and she could almost hear him telling her to calm down, although it would probably be in a less polite way. Just last night, he'd spent hours throwing the most absurd questions at her about her law to test her and eventually, they'd fallen into bed in a fit of giggles. Ron had spent a good few hours after that helping her to relax and he would not be impressed if he could see that all his hard work had been for nothing.

Hermione forced her attention back to the Minister just in time for him to introduce her. She took a deep breath, ignoring the shake of her hand as she took her place back at the podium. She focused on keeping her voice calm as the questions started to come in thick and fast; most of them addressing concerns about suitable compensation and how family history would be preserved. Some good conversations with the audience members followed these questions and Hermione worked with Madam Radford and Kingsley to facilitate these, with Betsy making an input on the questions given to them by the house-elves in the front row.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly and Hermione soon relaxed into the questioning until silence fell over the hall.

"Does anyone else have any more questions?" Hermione surveyed the room, watching as an extremely frail elderly lady, draped in an expensive-looking green dress and a black fur-lined cloak stand up, leaning heavily on a cane with a shaky hand. The witch pulled her wand out of her pocket and Hermione spotted the Aurors react accordingly out of the corner of her eyes. The witch pointed her wand at her throat to amplify her thin voice.

"Miss Granger. I am Lady Rowland of Highclere Manor. House-elves have been in our family for hundreds of years. Although I support your cause in principle, I wonder how you have determined that you are the best judge what house-elves really want? Isn't it true that during your time at Hogwarts, you took actions that led to the house-elves at the school refusing to service the Gryffindor common room and dormitories for fear of being accidentally freed?"

Hermione smiled wryly. She was surprised it had taken this long for questions about S.P.E.W to be raised. She made sure to gather her thoughts before broaching the subject.

"When I was 14, I met a house-elf called Winky after the Dark Mark appeared over the campsite. She worked for Barty Crouch and I can remember feeling so affected by how poorly she had been treated that when I got back to school, I started the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. I admit that I was misguided; being muggle-born my only knowledge of house-elves before Winky was Dobby, who had relished being free and who loved clothes. I took that to mean that all house-elves would feel the same so I tried to free them. Eventually, I learnt that they didn't want to be freed, as such, but a lot of them did want to be treated properly."

The elderly witch nodded and shifted her position on her cane. "So what makes you think now that house-elves wish to be freed? Surely this is just another misguided attempt of the Ministry to abolish the work pure-bloods have been doing for hundreds of years to preserve our magical rights. Ones which we were born with. We do not want an equal playing field. How do we know creatures want to be treated the same way?"

Hermione bit back her immediate response. The question made her blood boil but she knew she had to try and stay neutral to win the population over. It made her feel sad to know that the elitism found in the magical community was still rife, that some purebloods didn't want equality for every magical person or being, despite how they were born. The Wizarding World was still so archaic in that respect and she knew she still had a lot of work to do to make things better for everyone.

"Dobby's Law is not about making the house-elves do anything. It's about giving them choices and options. The same ones that we get and treating them well because they are living creatures. They do not deserve to be punished or abused or forced to do things against their will. Kreacher was a house-elf who used to serve the house of Black and was left to Harry Potter once Sirius Black died. He was left to rattle around Grimmauld Place because he had to stay true to the family he was born to. When Harry, Ron and I first sought refuge at Grimmauld Place, Kreacher was bitter and hateful. We gave him a chance to help us in our mission and we rewarded him for his efforts. Soon his opinion towards us changed and the nicer we treated him, the easier it was for him to provide a better level of service and he was happy to do so too. I want more house-elves to get an opportunity to be like Kreacher because most importantly it's better for them and as a side product, it will bring you benefits too…"

The old woman scoffed. "So we're just expected to listen to a Mudblood, and not only that but one who has been known to be involved in criminal activities that include breaking into Gringotts and encouraging an elf to attempt to commit murder, in the house he once served nonetheless…"

Hearing the word 'Mudblood' being thrown around so casually in a professional setting combined with the accusation that she was the reason behind Dobby's death left Hermione feeling like she'd been hit by a stunning spell. She took a small step back from the podium, her hand moving absentmindedly to rub against the scar on her lower left arm as she watched Lady Rowland's smug smile peer up at her.

She could hear Kingsley's voice dismissing the question, but she couldn't make sense of the words over the pounding of rage in her ears. At some point, he must have called for the end of the session because the doors of the conference room were suddenly opened and the attendees started to file out. Hermione felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, pushing her carefully off the stage and into a side room.

"Are you okay Hermione?"

The sound of her name help Hermione come to, and she shook her heard to pull her back out of the shock. She found herself glancing up at the Minister's friendly but concerned face.

"I'm okay. I'm so sorry I froze. The use of the term took me by surprise; I wasn't expecting it at all given the context of the meeting…"

Kinglsey nodded his head. "I understand. You know how I feel about it. I will make sure I catch up with Lady Rowland sometime this week; maybe remind her of the simple rules of etiquette. You've done well today – it went smoothly all things considered."

"Thank you…" Hermione let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. "At least it's over and done with now. Betsy and I will get the notes written up as soon as possible and send them over to your offices." She smiled as Betsy turned up by her side and the pair said their goodbyes to the Minister and Claire Radford before slowly making their way back up to their department.

Unfortunately, the rest of Hermione's day didn't go quite as smoothly. By the time she stepped through the fireplace and into Primrose Cottage, she had dealt with numerous howlers expressing their disapproval about Dobby's Law. A number of the letters she had tried to ignore had ignited part of her desk, scaring the life out of Betsy. She probably should have known to expect it, given the response to the article about her in Witch Weekly just before Christmas.

She rubbed her eyes; she was so exhausted her bones ached but she was soon distracted by the smell of dinner cooking in the kitchen. She slipped her heels off with a relieved sigh and unfastened her business jacket, flinging it over the back of the sofa before wearily wandering through to the kitchen. She leaned against the doorframe, watching as Ron expertly moved around the room, finishing off the meal he'd been preparing. He'd tied her pink apron around his waist in a weak attempt to keep tidy, but the kitchen was just pure chaos. The boy never learnt the meaning of 'tidy as you go'.

"Well, this is a nice surprise…" Hermione felt her heart fill with love for Ron as he turned towards her, a huge smile spreading over his face as he spotted her in the doorway. He immediately set the pot he was emptying down, getting it to finish sorting itself out with a tap of his wand before walking quickly over to her. As soon as he got to her he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I heard you'd had a bit of an afternoon, so I thought I'd skip this evening's gym session so I could cook for my girl…" He nuzzled his lips against the top of her head. She'd spent ages this morning working it into a smart up-do, but he longed to unpin it and pull his fingers through her curls. "Are you okay?"

"Nothing a bath and dinner won't fix…" She closed her eyes with a yawn, resting her forehead against his chest. She allowed Ron to loosen his grip on her and lead her over to the kitchen table. He carefully set her down in her seat.

"Well, I can sort that out for you no problem. Sit there and tell me about the launch of Dobby's Law…" He kissed the top of her head one more time then went back to serving up the dinner.

He listened carefully as she told him about the Town Hall event and the pile of hate mail she'd received; the second lot in less than a month she'd hastened to point out to him. Ron put her plate of food in front of her once it was ready and sat down opposite here to eat his own.

Their conversation soon fizzled out naturally as they ate, although that didn't bother Hermione or Ron. Their silences were always friendly now and Ron knew that Hermione liked to think as she ate. He was just happy to sit in her company and he pushed his foot gently against hers so that she knew he was still there as she disappeared into her own thoughts. Eventually, he finished his meal and sat back in his seat, a content smile on his face.

"So Dobby's Law has launched to mostly a success and anything else can be dealt with. What's next on Hermione Granger's list of how to conquer the world?"

Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts and she smiled as she pushed her leftovers across the table towards Ron. "Well, my next step is getting my translations published. I've been working on them so long; they're starting to annoy me. But I guess I should start thinking about what my next project will be…"

Ron looked like he was thinking as he inhaled the rest of the food. "You could join the Auror Academy. I could help you with that, it would make a nice change to me copying from you…" He smirked across the table at her.

"As tempting as that sounds, I have actually received an offer…" Hermione pulled her wand out and accio'd the parchment Kingsley had given to her last week. She had stowed it away in her desk in the study after getting home, determined to push the offer to the back of her mind until after Dobby's Law had been released. She watched as the parchment landed on the table in front of Ron.

He frowned and took the parchment, unfolding it and carefully reading it. He felt his heart start to speed up, beating a nervous tattoo against his ribs and his stomach lurch as he digested the words. He was careful to keep his face neutral, a skill he'd picked up during Auror training. When he finally spoke, he was surprised at how calm his voice was.

"Six months in New York is going to be interesting Hermione. Have you accepted the offer? When are you leaving?"

Hermione watched him closely, trying to gauge his true feelings. Sometimes, his Auror training clouded her ability to read him properly and she found it frustrating. She sometimes missed when he wore his heart, and his feelings, on his sleeve so she knew exactly what was going on with him. She spotted the muscle along his jaw clench and then unclench and she knew deep down he was unhappy. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, feeling their hard work over the last few weeks start to slip away.

"I'm not sure if I'm going to take them up on the offer. I don't think I want to go to New York…"

Ron dropped the parchment to the table and Hermione winced as it landed in a puddle of leftover sauce. "What do you mean you don't want to go?! You're always banging on about visiting the city!"

"Yes, with you for a few days. Not for six months alone…"

"It's only six months Hermione; we've spent longer apart. You know the work inside out already so it'll be piss easy for you so you can still do all the tourist things and still get your name out there. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Ron ushed his chair away from the table, angrily tidying up the plates from their meal. There was no way he was going to let Hermione give up on such a great opportunity but he knew she was stubborn and once her mind was set on something, it was hard for her to give up on it. As he filled the sink with hot water, his mind ran countless scenarios on how they could make it work for both of them but each option just ended up with him being alone for a long period of time. Selfishly, he wanted her to stay; especially given what happened the last time, but he knew he would never ask that of her.

Hermione watched Ron, trying not to let a fond smile cross her lips as he stormed around the kitchen in her pink apron; he knew that would make him feel worse. She carefully considered her words as she tracked his movements. Usually, she relied on Ron being the more logical one out of the pair of them; he was good at looking for different angles and seeing things that others couldn't especially when she got caught up in the detail. With a sigh, she pushed herself away from the table and picked up a tea towel, determined to help him clean up.

"Who says I have to leave the UK to help them?" She didn't look at him, choosing instead to focus on wiping down the units by hand. "It's so easy to correspond via floo or even international owl mail and if I have to, I can portkey over there for a day if they need me there in person. A six-month secondment is just ridiculous and they have to have someone there to continue the work once I'm gone anyway, so surely it's better for them to hire someone I can work with…"

Ron sighed, tearing his attention away from the washing up to turn around; leaning against the sink to watch her. "I guess that could work…"

Hermione dared to lift her eyes from the counter to look at Ron. "There's plenty of time for travel; we're only 21 for Merlin's sake. We can live and work in a different country every year if that's what we want; although the more kids we have the harder that will be.

"I'm not saying it'll be easy staying here, but that way I can still work on my translation project because their office hours will be late because of the time difference. Kingsley said I can keep my credentials for the Ministry, so maybe I could ask if I could work from London? Plus I want to develop a career here; I still have a long way to get people to trust me and Dobby's Law is only the start of that. There are a lot of things I need to change here. I don't want Dobby's Law being the only thing I've achieved here and I don't want to be a one-trick pony…" She leaned wearily against the counter.

Despite his grump, Ron couldn't help a laugh escape his lips. "There's absolutely no way you're going to be a one-trick pony, Hermione."

He looked like he was thinking again before letting out a heavy breath. "Okay, if staying here is what you want then I guess I'll drop it. But you have to promise to let me know if you want to go, okay? I don't want to hold you back…"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't think you're holding me back." She moved to close the gap between them, ignoring the feel of his soapy hands sliding up the back of her blouse as she cuddled up to him. "If MACUSA is interested in working with me, they'll do it on my terms." She lifted her head, seeking out his lips for a soft kiss.

Ron returned the kiss, albeit a bit hesitantly. He still felt nervous that she was going to leave, despite the work they'd both put in recently to move past everything that had happened over the last couple of years. There was still the small part of doubt, buried deep down in his self-conscious that couldn't believe she would willing choose to stay home with him over an exciting opportunity like that one MACUSA had offered her but he had to trust that she was telling the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn't think I would send Hermione to New York did you? I worked hard to make her decision realistic but at the same time, I just couldn't bring myself to split them up again. Thank you for all your kind comments and reviews, as per usual they've made my days. Let me know what you think of this chapter! :-) xxxx


	28. The Field Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Weasley family throw a celebration to remember the end of the Battle of Hogwarts as well as celebrate Victoire's birthday. While there, Ron and Harry get some unexpected news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HATE transitionary chapters, so I apologise in advance for the low quality of this one. I've written it 5,000,000 times. It's a chapter that had to happen so we could move on with the story. I have spiced it up but yeah, don't judge my writing purely on this chapter! :) Thank you for all you kind comments; as usual please leave me more if you enjoyed this, or even if you didn't (as long as you're constructive)! xxx

The furore around Dobby's Law continued for a few weeks, although luckily Hermione didn't receive any more Howlers, and as the Wizarding community adjusted to the new laws and practices, the attention soon died down. With the Auror department dealing with any serious transgressions, Hermione passed the every-day running of the new House-Elf division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures over to Betsy, who was a surprisingly great leader and excelled in the position.

Kingsley offered Hermione an empty office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement so that she had a space to focus on helping MACUSA develop their own house-elf laws, although she mostly preferred to work in her study at Primrose Cottage. She would write in the mornings then spend her afternoons and early evenings flooing the American Ministry. With Ron's long hours at training, she was grateful for the flexibility as otherwise, she'd hardly see him, even with them living in the same house.

The year soon turned from Winter to Spring and with it came the third anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. The trio was once again asked to attend the Ministry's ceremonial events which they agreed to reluctantly. This year, Harry made a speech reminding the community of the need to be tolerant and unified, putting emphasis on species and beings working together in homage to Hermione's work to provide equality to house-elves.

The Weasley family had decided to hold their own celebration event the weekend after the official ceremonies. They'd all agreed that it would give them a chance to remember Fred, Lupin, Tonks, and anyone else they may have lost as well as celebrate Victoire's birthday in their own special way.

Hermione woke late that Saturday morning with the feel of Ron's eyes on her. They had spent last night at the Leaky Cauldron with the rest of their school friends and there was a faint pounding behind her eyes. She carefully rolled onto her back and forced her eyes open, smiling as she was greeted with Ron's freckly face.

"Stop watching me sleep…" She lifted a hand, sliding it around his neck and forcing him down for a kiss.

Ron laughed and returned her kiss willing before pulling away and rubbing his nose against hers.

"I just can't help it – you woke me up about half an hour ago with your snoring but you looked so cute. Did you know when you sleep your brow looks goes all wrinkled and furrowed? I can't work out if you're telling me off in your sleep or thinking up another plan to save the world…"

"Shut up!" Hermione laughed and kissed him again.

Ron let himself melt into her kisses, carefully lowering his weight over her body. It was so easy for her to distract him and for a moment, he'd forgotten about all their plans for the day. He summoned all his self-control and tore his lips from hers, grinning at the frustrated moan that escaped from her.

"I brought you up a cup of tea. We promised mum we'd be over this morning to help her decorate the garden…"

Hermione sighed and pouted up at Ron. Although she was excited for the family BBQ they'd planned, she'd also had a really long week and a late night and she wanted nothing more than to stay in bed with Ron for the day. The late morning sun was shining through the window though and she thought there were definitely worse ways to spend the day than eating and drinking too much with Ron and his family. And after all, they'd agreed with Harry and Ginny last night to make sure the day was good for Molly.

"Okay – is your Dad still claiming he's going to be King of the BBQ today?!" She carefully sat up once Ron had moved off her.

"Yeah but I reckon he has competition in Fleur…" Ron smirked. "I don't care, it's more tasty meat for us!"

"Absolutely – I can't wait…"

She took her cup of tea from him and drank it quickly. Ron always made the best tea. "Okay, I feel more human now…" She started to move out of bed. "Want to save time and shower with me?"

"I'm not going to say no…" Ron smirked, almost falling out of the bed as he scrambled to join her.

An hour later, Ron and Hermione walked up to the Burrow; fingers tightly entwined with each other's and their hands swinging between them. It was uncharacteristically warm for the time of the year and they'd decided to make the most of it and walk across the lanes from Primrose Cottage. As soon as Molly spotted them, they were assigned decorating duties at different ends of the garden; almost as if she had engineered it that way to keep them apart. Hermione reminded herself that it was just coincidence, they were no longer school children after all.

By lunchtime, the rest of the family had joined them. Bill & Fleur had turned up last with Victoire since she was the guest of honour. Soon enough, she was running riot with Teddy Lupin in charge of her, music was playing out across the garden and the smell of burnt sausages filled the air.

Ron started working his way back to Hermione after having a drink with his brothers when he suddenly found himself tackled to the floor by the toddlers. He roughhoused with them, wrestling with them carefully and laughing as they erupted into fits of giggles and shrieks. Although Teddy wasn't a blood relative, he'd spent a lot of time at the Burrow with his Gran; automatically being added to the additional members the Weasley family seemed to attract like magnets.

Suddenly, a screech owl flew across the yard, landing on Harry's shoulder. Ron frowned as Harry took the note from the owl and Teddy took the opportunity of Ron being momentarily being distracted to elbow drop him in the stomach. He let out a loud groan of pain and grabbed Teddy by the ankles, carrying him upside down to Harry.

"What's the note?" He held Teddy up high, laughing as the squirming toddler's hair turned from red to dark black as he got near Harry.

"Here… read it… and I'll take my Godson before you drop him on his head…" Harry laughed as they carefully swapped and Ron leaned against a nearby table to read the note.

Hermione had been watching Teddy, Victoire and Ron wrestle with a fond smile as she stood with a glass of wine with Fleur and Ginny. She frowned as she watched Harry read the note the owl had delivered then pass it to Ron. Ron's reaction to the message made her stomach lurch in concern.

As Harry and Ron continued to talk, their heads bent close together with a squirming Teddy in between them, Hermione carefully nudged Ginny in the side.

"What do you think is going on there?"

Ginny followed Hermione's gaze, frowning as she watched her husband and brother talk secretly. She narrowed her eyes and then shrugged.

"The Quidditch scores have probably come in and they're dissecting them! Whoever won today will play the Harpies next weekend and all Harry has done is talk about the game!" She rolled her eyes and took a sip from her glass.

Hermione laughed and finished her glass before excusing herself to go to the toilet. She headed upstairs to the sole bathroom, relishing in getting a couple of minutes peace and quiet. The Burrow was always so crazy and loud and something was always happening; even in the direct aftermath of the war and although Hermione had adjusted well to it over the years, as an only child it sometimes got too much for her.

She'd discovered early on in her friendship with Ron and Harry that the trick was to take breaks little and often.

She finished washing her hands and unlocked the bathroom door. Before she could step out onto the landing, a sudden flash of ginger pushed her back into the room and relocked the door. The person eagerly sought out her lips as he manhandled her further into the room.

"Oh Charlie, do be careful – Ron's still in the garden…" Hermione laughed into the hungry kiss before submitting to it, closing her eyes as she felt a moan rumble low in her throat.

"I'm going to ignore that…" Ron laughed as he tore his lips from hers teasingly, brushing his lips instead against the side of her face.

"I would have thought you'd have gone for Bill instead…" He whispered, his breath hot on her ear. He nudged his nose affectionately against her cheek in a way that showed her he was only teasing before pressing a soft kiss to the line of her jaw, trailing his way down her neck.

Hermione felt a wave of arousal as she thought of everyone still downstairs at the party but before she could even let out a moan, Ron pressed his lips hard against hers again. She felt a hand at her thigh as he hoisted her up and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. Another of her moans disappeared against his lips as she felt him press her up against the wall, grounding his excitement against her.

Ron desperately needed Hermione and from the noise she was making, he was pretty sure she needed him just as badly. He used the wall to balance her as his spare hand unfastened his belt hastily, letting his jeans fall to his ankles before expertly removing her knickers. Without warning, he plunged into her; almost crying out in pain as she bit his lip in reaction.

"Bloody hell Hermione…" He nipped at her jawline as he started thrusting into her, keeping up with the fast, desperate pace of their tryst. He watched as her eyes closed again and her head fell back against the wall as he continued to paint frenzied kisses across her jaw.

"I love you, Ron…" Hermione's words were breathless as her pleasure started to build. It only took him sliding his hand between them and pressing gently against her bud before she started shuddering against him; her toes curling inside her shoes. He didn't let up his pace, continuing to thrust hard as he chased his own climax. It didn't take long before he felt his own release, shaking from the sheer intensity of the moment.

He placed his lips back on hers, kissing her softly as his thrusts eventually slowed. He pulled away and carefully let Hermione down, laughing as she wobbled from the effect of his assault.

"What was that about?" Hermione reached for his wand as they redressed, performing scougify to clean them both up.

"Spotted you coming up here and I couldn't resist…" He gazed down at her, an affectionate look in his eyes. He cupped her cheek, stroking the skin with his thumb. "Harry and I got an owl; we've been summoned to a briefing tonight…"

"You're going on a mission?" Hermione frowned, her post-orgasm bubble popping in the most brutal way as her stomach flipped with nerves for him.

"Apparently." Ron sighed. "The ridiculous thing is we've waited fucking months for this to come and there's no indication if it's a real one or just a part of our training. Either way, we'll still be assessed on it…"

Hermione sighed. "How long will you be gone?"

"Who knows? I could be back tomorrow, or I could be back next week. We'll find out later…"

"I guess we knew this moment was going to come eventually…" She lifted her spare hand to rearrange his fringe. She must have had her hands in his hair earlier, although she couldn't remember doing it. "Can you tell me what the mission is…"

"Later…" Ron glanced wearily at the bathroom door. "We should go back to the party before anyone has noticed we're both missing…"

Hermione nodded and carefully unlocked the door, checking that the coast was clear before heading back downstairs with him; her fingers once again entwined tightly with his. They re-joined the family just as they started to sing happy birthday to Victoire.

Harry felt them appear next to him and he turned his head, raising his eyebrows at the pair. Hermione blushed but glared back at her best friend, almost daring him to say something but he just turned back around, a smug smile on his face. Hermione laughed and let Ron drape an arm over her shoulder, cuddling tightly against his chest.

Once the candles had been blown, the cake cut and Victoire put down for a nap; the trainee Aurors made their excuses to the family and headed home to pack. Molly made a fuss of both Ron and Harry, warning them to look after themselves and each other and Hermione was fondly reminded of the time she tried to keep the three of them apart whilst they were trying to plan their Horcrux hunt.

A few hours later, Ron hurried into the briefing room; his small knapsack in his hand. He threw himself down into his usual chair between Harry and Neville, relieved that Robards hadn't started the briefing yet.

"You're cutting it fine, aren't you?" Harry watched as his best friend appeared.

"Yeah well, Hermione was too keen on letting me go…" The tips of Ron's ears turned pink, but his familiar goofy smile appeared on his face at the same time.

"Ah yeah, Ginny had a similar problem. But I still made it in on time…"

Ron wrinkled his nose up in disgust. "I would make a comment about that being a reflection on your skills, but that's my baby sister you're talking about."

Harry laughed in response; there was nothing more he loved more than teasing Ron about these sort of things. "You need to get over it mate…"

"Never!" Ron fumbled with his bag, trying to get a clean sheet of parchment out of it without disturbing the piles of supplies Hermione had packed.

He had protested at first; she was his girlfriend after all and not his mother but then he remembered her neat little trick with her small, beaded bag and allowed her to carry on. "Did Ginny say she was worried?"

Harry dropped the volume of his voice as Robards entered the room. "Yeah – she said it reminded her of when we left to go on the hunt. She doesn't like us being out in a dangerous situation again…"

Ron sighed. "Hermione too, although she didn't mention it I could tell. Considering all the shit we've been through; you'd think she'd be used to it…"

"Ah yeah, but Hermione was with us. Now she has to wait at home, just like Ginny did…"

Ron frowned; he'd never thought about it that way before. He sat back in his seat, furiously making notes as the briefing started; trying to keep his thoughts away from what was waiting for him when he finally got home.


	29. Malfoy Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Auror mission takes longer and is more boring than expected until Harry makes a suggestion that takes them off course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not think I was going to get this chapter out today. It's been one of those weeks and I still have Friday to survive. Nonetheless, it is here. Things have been way too nice for Ron & Hermione, so lets see what Ron's first proper Auror mission will bring him! As ever, I appreciate all feedback and try to respond where I can (I love discussing all things Romione with everyone). Updates may slow down over the next week as I have a Secret Santa I HAVE to write but we'll see what else life throws at me. xxx

Ron woke with a start on the fourth night of the mission, a deep sense of foreboding radiating through his body. The room they were sleeping in was pitch black and his limbs were tangled in the mess of blankets and sleeping bags he was using as a makeshift bed, making him feel as if he was trapped. For a moment, he panicked; he felt like he’d been thrust back a few years to the tent he’d shared with Harry and Hermione, the gloom mimicking the power the Horcrux had over him. He gasped for breath as he desperately searched for something to focus on and bring him back to where he was supposed to be; his keen ears finally picking up on the rolling snores of his colleagues. He blocked out all other senses, focussing on the snuffles and heavy breathing until his heartbeat slowed down and the urge to hex someone finally disappeared.

The group had made camp last night deep in the rolling Cotswolds hills, choosing an abandoned barn at the edge of a run-down muggle farm. It had taken them a while to hack a path through the tall grass and find an entrance, but the roof had seemed whole and the floor was dry – a massive improvement on where they’d slept the night before. Although it was May, a harsh wind had picked up whilst they’d completed their investigations that day and it was now howling menacingly though the rafters, making sleep almost impossible. And when Ron did manage to drift off, old anxieties were forcing his nightmares to the forefront of his mind.

So far, their mission had been an entire waste of time. They’d followed the reported sightings off Mulciber and Crabbe from the Yorkshire Dales, down through Leicestershire but there was no trace of them or the supposed key witnesses who had disappeared without a trace. To make matters worse, they had been on a limited diet since they’d left the Auror briefing room Saturday night and everything was adding to Ron’s mounting frustration about the mission.

Once he was sure he had calmed down from his nightmare, he carefully untangled his arms from the blanket and pushed himself into a sitting position. He grazed his fingers over the blanket lightly, letting the soft, plush material ground him. He had been teased about it when he had pulled it from his bag, but he was the one laughing now as the rest of them complained they were cold. Whilst she was helping him pack, Hermione had jokingly placed a charm on his Chudley Canon’s blanket, making it look similar to the scratchy Auror-issue covers. It usually stayed in the same location, flung over the back of the sofa ready for days when she decided to curl up with a book. It smelt of her, of the fire at Primrose Cottage and of spilt tea from when they’d both gotten a little carried away whilst cuddled up under it and it was comforting. Ron spotted a moment when she was distracted and stuffed it into the bottom of his bag, hoping she wouldn’t miss it.

Most of his teammates had brought a token from home; he definitely wasn’t the only one but they didn’t have Harry, the specky git who used to be his best friend who conveniently spotted the one corner Hermione’s charm had missed as Ron had unfolded it on their first night. The black-haired pricked had earned the sharp kick in the shin Ron had given him that night.

Ron took a long swing from his canteen then stowed it back in his bag before casting his eyes around the room, letting them adjust to the darkness. A short figure sat in the doorway; their shadow illuminated by the moonlight. It was Harry, his ex-best friend, taking his turn on watch. He let out a small sigh, sleep was far out of his reach now so he decided he might as well get up and keep the dickhead company. He pulled on a spare jumper for warmth, leaving his blanket in his sleeping space. After slipping his feet back into his boots, he carefully weaved around the sleeping bodies of his teammates and plonked himself down next to Harry, his eyes staring straight ahead over the hills.

“Anything exciting happened?”

For anyone else, the appearance of a lanky ginger person in the early hours of the morning would have scared the life out of them; but Harry wasn’t even startled. He’d almost felt Ron’s approach before he’d joined him. There were certain bonds that developed once you’d been through what they had together, bonds he was aware he would never even share with Ginny. Also, the guy stomped everywhere; despite his best attempts at being quiet. Harry shifted his eyes wearily to look at his best friend.

“A sheep passed by about 10 minutes ago. He looked at me as if to say ‘you’re wasting your time’ before wandering off again…”

“So being a parseltongue isn’t enough; you’ve decided to just start speaking the language of sheep, whatever that’s called?”

“Only the one sheep. Maybe the Dark Lord is back and he’s hidden a new Horcrux…”

“Well, we have no chance of finding that then; the whole countryside is riddled with the bloody things…”

Harry laughed softly. “What are you doing up anyway? Can’t sleep?”

“Reckon I had a nightmare; I don’t remember it now though. I won’t be able to get back to sleep…” Ron rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to suppress a yawn.

Harry nodded but didn’t say anything else. He knew how bad the nightmares were, he still suffered from them occasionally too. He stared out into the darkness for a moment.

“I’ve been thinking of Malfoy Manor…”

“That’s not food mate…”

“I just wondered if I might suggest we go there and check things out, since everywhere else we’ve been has just been a dead end.”

Ron turned his head, frowning at Harry. “You don’t think they’re hiding out there, do you? Didn’t the Malfoys run away to Spain or somewhere after their trials had finished?”

“I dunno – I just think if there are uncaptured Death Eaters out there they may gravitate to Malfoy Manor given its history. I’m pretty sure it’s in ruins now, but it’s a significant building. I was surprised when it wasn’t on the original list…”

Ron shrugged and pulled the sleeves of his jumper down over his hands as a shiver travelled over his spine. The last thing he wanted to do was to go back there, even if the building wasn’t standing anymore. The Manor was the scene of his worst nightmares and he’d rather go ballroom dancing with Grawp than go back there. He was pretty sure that he’d still be able to hear Hermione’s screams bouncing off the walls and he didn’t want to relive them, ever again if he could help it.

He let out a heavy sigh. “As much as I really don’t want to go back there, it probably is worth mentioning it to Healey. He’s been open to our comments and feedback all week and the sooner we find something or check everything out, the sooner I can sleep in my own bed with my arms firmly around my girlfriend…”

Harry didn’t respond; instead, he focused on a distant hill as he tried to process his thoughts. He wanted to go back to Malfoy Manor just as badly as Ron did. He just didn’t want their first mission to be a waste of their time. Slowly, his thoughts drifted away as his eyelids started to close and the sudden jerk of his head dropping onto his chest woke him back up again. He felt Ron elbow him softly in the side.

“Go on, I’m on the next watch until dawn anyway and it’s almost time to trade. Take my bed if you want it, my blanket is there and it’ll be warmer than yours. I’m not going back to sleep tonight!”

“Cheers mate…” Harry carefully stood up as Ron pulled his wand from his pocket. “I am sorry for telling the team the blanket was from Hermione…”

Ron turned his head to look at his best friend, giving him a knowing look. “Oh, it’s okay. I’ve seen the arm of Ginny’s teddy bear poking out of your bag. I’m keeping that nugget for when I really need it…” He tapped his nose with a wry grin before turning back to staring into the darkness. He felt Harry clap a hand firmly on his shoulder and then he was alone.

Two days later, the pair found themselves stood at the end of the long drive that led to Malfoy Manor. With all of the rest of their leads providing no further evidence of Death eater activity; Healey had agreed to extend the mission to investigate the Manor. He was impressed with Harry’s resourcefulness; even though Harry and Ron both agreed they probably wouldn’t have said anything if it meant they could be home. The rain had started early that morning and hadn’t let up. Ron was just thankful for the weather repellent spells protecting them from the majority of the elements.

Malfoy Manor was a shadow of its former majesty. One of the grand gates had rusted and was hanging off its hinge and the other was lying on the floor halfway down the garden. Where once peacocks frolicker, there was now only weeds and brambles. The building was still there, although there was no way it was still habitable. Only one wing of the house was still standing; rubble was strewn among the overgrown garden and piles of ash decorated what still existed.

Ron placed his hand on the gate post; wincing as the white brick crumbled underneath his touch.

“Oh, how the might have fallen…” He threw a satisfied smile at Harry. “Makes you feel good doesn’t it?”

Harry shrugged. He almost felt impassive about it all. He was disappointed that his hunch hadn’t come to anything; the place was so obviously deserted. Still, at least after a quick check of the grounds, they would be able to go home.

The pair were pulled back to the group as Healey summoned them. They stood around the small wizard so they could discuss formation. Once a planned was formed, the group moved into position and waited patiently for their cue, wands raised high at standard shoulder height and in front of their bodies.

“Alright, move-in folks…”

The group of Aurors moved in tight formation towards the building. They were well practised at this, having visited over 20 locations over the past week. They moved as one, taking their cues from Healey who had been their designated mission lead from Saturday. Robards was a paper pusher, he hadn’t been on a mission for over 10 years and had warned the group he didn’t like being called out to deal with things; especially if it was out of office hours.

The group came within five metres of the building before stopping and casting the charms that would reveal booby traps or anyone living in the dilapidated house, although the odds seemed unlikely. Ron made sure to cast his charms wide, he’d already had his fingers burnt during their visit to Long Buckby and he was pretty sure his Auror career would last another incident like that. He felt himself relax as his charms showed nothing untoward on his side of the building.

Soon, the word came down the line that Harry had identified movement in the dungeon. Ron felt his heartbeat speed up and he fought against every inch of his being to rush to his best friend’s side. Breaking rank could result in an immediate suspension. He pushed his feet into the mud, ready to hold his ground until Healey gave the signal for the group to move in. He shifted only when the Aurors either side of him moved and eventually drew closer to Harry. It wasn’t until he moved that Ron noticed his hand was shaking, and he fought to keep control of it. As if being at Malfoy Manor was bad enough; it was like the death eaters were deliberately teasing him by hiding in the dungeon. He joined the small group around Harry as the wizard talked through the feedback from his charms.

Auror Healey listened carefully to Potter speak and was relieved when the group remained silent. He wasn’t expecting to find anything at the Manor, this was his first mission in charge and he’d been hoping for nothing to happen so he could file an easy report and take it as a win. He knew he had to think fast; whatever was hiding in the dungeon could have already spotted them and be planning their attack.

He stood up straight and addressed the group, keeping his voice low. “Okay – here’s what we’re going to do. Watson, you take the lead with Morgan. From the floor plans I looked at last night, the dungeons are pretty small so we don’t all need to investigate. I’ll take the rear. I want the rest of you to move back into watch formation; keep your eyes peeled for any potential escape routes and be there to stop them.”

Ron immediately knew the plan wasn’t right. He sighed; he knew this would happen if they came here. He cast his eye across the group towards Harry, checking he felt the same way and was rewarded with a nod. Ron straightened up and raised his hand.

“Yes, Weasley?” Healey looked annoyed at being interrupted.

“Harry and I have been here before. We were held captive in the dungeons by Lord Voldemort and his closest followers. If anyone should go first, it should be us…”

Healey looked like he was considering the plan. He didn’t look happy, but Ron knew he was right. He kept his head up high and eventually the Auror nodded his head. “Okay, but the two of you are to go in together, okay? Keep close to me and keep your ears peeled for anything unusual. I don’t like this but knowing what the two of you have been through already, I’m going to go with it. At the first sign of anything going wrong, you two are to leave straight away; understood?”

Harry and Ron agreed at the same time and quickly moved into the new formation. They waited with Healey until the rest of the team had taken up position around the house before cautiously stepping towards the building.

Despite the fact it had been over three years since they’d last been at the Manor, Ron still found the path leading to the dungeons with ease. He carefully stepped over large pieces of rubble; every one of his senses feeling like they were being amplified 100 times over. It was enough to make him feel sick. He easily located the stairs that led to the metal gate and paused briefly, using the opportunity to take a deep breath. It was raining harder now, either that or his weather repelling charm was running out and he lifted his head towards the sky; hoping the raindrops would cool his hot forehead. He was vaguely aware of Harry performing homenum revelio but the charm showed nothing further. The feel of Harry’s hand on his back brought the ginger back to the present. It told Ron that he felt it too but that it was going to be okay.

The gate creaked as Ron pushed it open, letting it swing against the brick wall with a loud clang. The group followed the stairs down into the dungeon and spread into the space. Ron lit his wand and scoured the room. It was in a worse state than when they were there before. The walls were slick with rain and mould and the entire room stank to high heaven. He grimaced as he stepped into a puddle and shook the water from his boot.

All of a sudden a lump formed in his throat and his body went cold. He fought to keep his grip on his wand as he tried desperately to catch his breath. The small room they were stood in represented everything he still stressed about, deep in the night whilst Hermione was asleep next to him. He glanced towards the corner where he sat with his hands clamped over his ears to block out the sound of Hermione’s screams, the gate at the top of the stairs clanged once again in the wind and all of a sudden he could hear himself pleading to be taken instead of her. He didn’t want her to be tortured again.

His wand finally gave up the fight against his sweaty grip as panic took over and his ears started to ring. Almost as if he were underwater, his sight wavered as he watched a small figure step out of the darkness and the concealment charm that was hiding him. Suddenly, Healey was forced out of the room and up the stairs by a gust of strong magic, the gate slamming shut behind them. Ron could hear Healey trying to regain access but time and time again he hit a shield that could not be penetrated. He stooped for his wand, yearning for the willow wood to find its way back to him but it was no good. In his panic, he forgot about the months of wandless magic they’d practised. Cursing to himself, he lifted his head once more and found an elderly elf stood where Healey had once been; his eyes glowing with menace. A familiar nasal voice reverberated around the room.

“You will pay for the mudblood’s transgressions…”

A blue curse hit Ron’s body before he could dodge it and he felt tight bindings wrap around his body. As he fell to the ground, he could hear Harry calling for him but then everything went dark and he could hear no more.


	30. Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione returns back from a flying visit to New York only to receive some bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to get my Secret Santa finished earlier than I expected and I had time to edit this chapter so you could get it on time. You didn't think I'd let you all know how Ron is straight away though, did you?! ;) As always, thanks for your feedback. It feeds my soul and makes me happy. Please keep it coming! :) xxx

Being close to the Minister of Magic had its benefits, Hermione Granger thought as she stepped out of the fireplace in her private office. After the first few weeks of working with MACUSA, he'd given permission for a floo line to be set up that would take her directly to the Woolworth Building in downtown New York City from her office in London. It meant that Hermione could easily travel between the two locations without needing to ask Percy Weasley for permission every time.

She threw the large set of files down on her desk and dusted her business robes down. Her work assisting the American Ministry with their own house-elf laws had been going well until they decided to include their Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the negotiations, and their head of department was fully against the laws. This was the second time she'd been to New York since Ron had left last weekend, but she felt like she was getting nowhere.

Her office was dark; lit only by the small lamp above her desk which had automatically turned on when she entered the room. It was probably time she called it a day. It was Friday and although the constant travelling through time zones had messed with her circadian rhythm, she knew it was far too late for her to still be in work. With any luck, Ron might be home – it had been six days since he'd left and she hadn't heard anything from him. She quickly tidied her work away and locked her filing cabinet before turning off the lamp and leaving her office, locking the door with a complicated charm, just in case.

She stepped into the busy elevator, squeezing herself in among a large group of clerical staff. They seemed to be around the same age as her, busy talking about the night of drinking ahead of them. Hermione smiled to herself as she listened to them; she wished she had the energy to head out straight from work. Although she didn't really enjoy the party lifestyle, she did like to go to the pub on a Friday night to see her friends; something they'd decided not to do whilst Harry, Ron and Neville were away. She was kind of grateful for the decision; all she wanted was a large glass of wine, a bath, and an early night – hopefully with her boyfriend.

She followed the group out of the lift and across the atrium, joining them in the queue for the floo network. Despite her best efforts, Kingsley had not agreed to connect the floo in her office to the one in her living room; that apparently was a step too far. She shifted uncomfortably in her court shoes, her feet aching as she waited for her turn.

Suddenly, an elephant Patronus appeared at her side. It raised it's trunk as if to tell Hermione to stop before emitting a calm sounding voice.

"Miss Granger. It's Gawain Robards. Please report to my office straight away."

Hermione's heart immediately skipped several beats as an uncomfortable churning started in her stomach. She felt sick and for a worrying moment, she thought she was going to lose her lunch right in front of all the ministry workers. She took a deep breath, trying her hardest to summon the most rational part of her brain as she processed the command. It was okay, Ron was okay, Robards just wanted to speak to her about the MACUSA issues.

Probably his counterpart had been in touch, the old white wizards liked to deal with things this way – tattle-telling on employees instead of approaching issues head-on. Or at the worst, Ron was home and playing an elaborate prank on her – although she wasn't sure why Robards would be involved with it.

She quickly turned on her heels, ignoring the burning sensation in her feet and the looks of the homeward bound ministry workers as she crossed the atrium, weaving the wrong way through the crowds. She tried not to run but she was finding it increasingly harder to keep her cool and her feet seemed to be moving on their own accord. She slipped to a stop in front of the elevators, furiously jabbing her finger against the button.

"Why is there never an elevator here when you bloody need it…" She huffed as the lift came into view, moving slowly as if it were under an impediment jinx.

Eventually, she made it to the Auror department and she followed the path she already knew quite well towards Robard's office. Her feeling that something awful had happened deepened as she rounded the corner and spotted Ginny pacing in front of the office. She quickened her pace, hurrying towards her friend. The petite ginger was still wearing her Harpies training kit; mud splattered up the back of her legs and her hair lank from the rain.

"Ginny!" Hermione couldn't help but cry out as she got closer to her. "Why are you here, what's going on?"

Ginny stopped in her tracks, throwing her arms desperately around Hermione.

"I don't know! Nobody will bloody tell me anything. I was at training; we have a massive game tomorrow and then all of a sudden a Patronus appears out of nowhere. I almost fell off my damn broom. You don't think…" Hermione noticed Ginny swallow her words, she couldn't bring herself to say it and Hermione didn't want to face the question. She drew her arms tighter around her friend as they waited for Robards to call them in.

After what felt like the longest wait ever, the door opened and a pale looking Robards stepped out into the corridor.

"Ah good, you're both here. Come in please, take a seat…"

The Head Auror held his office door open for them and waited for them to head in. They walked towards the chairs, but neither of them sat down so he closed his office door and stood behind his desk. He noticed how the two of them were clutching hold of each other's hands and sighed heavily.

"I've just had word from Senior Auror Healey, he was the leading the mission that the 3rd year trainees were on. The leads we were working on proved to be futile, so after gaining approval from me they decided to check out Malfoy Manor, just in case. They were in the area anyway and it seems that Potter had a feeling that if any rogue Death Eaters were still in the country, they may feel it important to gravitate there. Whilst there, a detection charm showed signs of activities in the dungeons, so Potter and Weasley volunteered to investigate further. They went with Healey to the dungeons. Unfortunately, not long after 1600 hours; an unknown magical force ejected Healey from the area and is currently holding Harry and Ron captive.

"A protective charm is currently over the area, preventing our teams from completing a rescue. You can rest assured that we are trying everything we can to rescue them. I have now called in a team of rescue specialists as well as a team of curse breakers. We will get them out…"

Hermione untangled her hand from Ginny's and pushed her curls out of her face. Her hand was shaking and she let out a deep breath as if to try and steady herself. "I should go, I should be there… I could help…"

She started to move towards the door and was surprised when Robards stepped into her path.

"Absolutely not Miss Granger. I expected this reaction from you and have spoken to the Minister. He supports me in saying that you are to stay away from this. You could make the situation worse. We don't know what we're dealing with yet and given your involvement in the fall of Lord Voldemort, you should stay away. We will impose sanctions if you choose not to listen to us. It would be more helpful to me if you could let the rest of your family know and wait with them if possible."

At the mention of the family, Ginny roused into action, pulling a defeated Hermione back to her. If they couldn't be a part of the rescue mission, they'd do what they could from home.

"We'll go to the Burrow; that's where my mum and dad live. The family will want to know and we'll wait there for further news…"

"Thank you, Mrs Potter. I promise I will be in touch as soon as I know more…"

He gave the pair a sympathetic look as they left his office. As soon as they'd gone, he prepared himself to head to Malfoy Manor; he was determined to do what he could to save his best trainees.

Ginny slid her hand back into Hermione's as they walked away from Robard's office. "Come on Hermione, you need to show me how to get out of here…"

She felt the brunette tighten her grip on her hand as she led her back towards the floo network. The atrium was empty now and Hermione thought it unfair that the rest of the Ministry workers were already safely within the confines of their own homes, or warm in the pub among their friends. They stopped in front of the fireplaces.

"Mum and Dad are going to be surprised to see us this late on a Friday, especially as we don't have plans to see them. You go first and I'll be straight after you, okay?" Ginny waited for Hermione to nod before pushing her gently towards the fireplace. The green flames quickly whisked her friend away and she stepped in after her, throwing down a handful of powder before muttering her desired location and let the familiar pull of the floo whisk her away.

Ginny was faced by a surprised looking Molly and Arthur. The radio was playing softly in the background, a pair of knitting needles floated in front of her mum whilst her dad still had the Friday papers in his hand. Hermione was floating nearby, looking almost awkward despite the fact she could easily call the Burrow home now. Ginny noticed her father's jaw had set in a way that was similar to Ron's; he already knew from their sudden appearance that something was up and Ginny braced herself.

She ran her hand through the knots in her hair with a sigh. She was desperate for a shower, to wash away the remains of her abandoned training session and let the hot water beat away the thought of what might be currently be happening to her husband or her brother. She needed to tell the team she wouldn't be at the game tomorrow; her stomach churned at the thought of letting them down but there was no way she could fly with the distraction, even if she wanted to. Ginny did not sit down, instead forcing herself to stand in front of her parents and keep eye contact with them.

"Okay, Ginny – what's going on? You're worrying me…." Arthur folded his paper tidily and placed it on the coffee table in front of him, a resolute look in his eyes. He reached across the sofa to take his wife's hand, holding on to it tightly.

"Hermione and I got called into the Auror department…" The youngest Weasley started pacing the front room as she relayed everything she knew to her parents, letting Hermione interject when she could. Once she was done, she let herself drop into the empty armchair, feeling suddenly exhausted. She rested her head against Hermione as she sat on the arm, feeling comforted by her presence.

Molly and Arthur were quiet for a while as they processed the news that two more of their family were in danger. Molly glanced at the clock, which was now crowded with the additional faces of her ever-growing brood and sighed as both Ron and Harry's faces were pointed at 'mortal peril'. She sighed; she should have noticed sooner, but she hadn't really paid much attention to the thing since the fall of Voldemort. She felt her husband tighten his grip on her hand and she hung onto it tightly, else she let her calm fall away completely.

Arthur sat forward; a frown etched across his usually peaceful face. "Okay – I'll contact the rest of the family. The two of you will stay here tonight, no arguments okay. You can go home to get some things if you need them, but there's plenty of stuff here in the house…"

As soon as Arthur relinquished his hold on her and stood up to use the floo, Molly snapped into action. Soon her house would be full again and she needed to ensure everyone was looked after. She felt herself gravitate towards the kitchen, comforted by the presence of her daughter hot on her heels and started to prepare a selection of food and cakes for everyone.

Within half an hour, the Burrow was a buzz of activity. Family and friends came and went as they heard the news, offering words of concern and turning up armed with Firewhisky and more food. Hermione stayed where she was perched on the arm of the armchair, staring at the fireplace, and flinching every time someone unfolded themselves out of the flames. She was vaguely aware of Ginny leaving for a short while, but she was not inclined to go back to the house she shared with Ron.

As soon as Bill had caught wind of what was going on, he had headed to Malfoy Manor to see if he could be useful. Someone from the family should be there and even the pleas of Molly begging him to keep the family together couldn't stop him from leaving. Even Charlie had sent word that he would be home from the dragon sanctuary as soon as possible.

Although the Burrow was busy, it wasn't like it was at Christmas; the mood was subdued and at least one set of feet were pacing the floor of the house at any time. Food was picked at, but not really eaten and a nervous energy had settled over the family.

The back and forth to New York as well as the awful news soon got too much for Hermione and she excused herself for bed. She climbed the stairs to the fifth-floor bedroom wearily, not even noticing how the décor automatically changed to its usual bright orange as if it knew what she needed. She found an old t-shirt of Ron's in a box in the corner of the room and changed into it before climbing into bed, pulling the orange duvet over her head before finally letting herself cry. It didn't bring her the comfort she needed; neither the duvet nor the t-shirt smelt of her boyfriend and the once squishy mattress had been replaced with something harder.

She cried as her mind raced, forcing her to imagine all the worst things that could be happening to Ron right now. It was bad enough that he had been forced back to the place where she had been tortured. She could still remember the sound of his cries echoing around the Manor as he begged to be taken instead of her, the burning of the knife pressing into her skin and the ache of every inch of her body as curse after curse hit her. She had never told him but the sound of his voice, knowing he was near and desperately trying to get to her kept her loosely tethered to some sort of sanity as the torture continued, hours falling away. Even as she drifted into some sort of loose consciousness, it was still his voice she clung to and she had been desperate to get back to him. She prayed to Merlin he wasn't currently going through the same thing; especially as she couldn't be there to let him know that he would be okay, that eventually he would survive.

A quiet knock on the door roused her from her morbid thoughts. She pushed the duvet away from her head and sat up in bed, furiously wiping her eyes. Hermione muttered for the person to come in and was relieved to see it was Ginny and that her eyes were red too.

"I can't sleep…" The petite ginger lingered in the doorway. She had Harry's old Quidditch t-shirt on and Hermione felt strangely jealous of the girl. Ginny had a jumper folded over her arm and when she noticed Hermione looking at it, she offered it out to her. "I hope you don't mind, but when I went to get some things I popped to your cottage. I didn't know what you'd need so I just packed a bag. But I thought this might be more important to you…"

Hermione took the jumper and immediately felt fresh tears appear in her eyes. She pulled it over her head, grateful to finally get the comfort she'd been looking for in the room. It had been at the top of the washing basket, she just hadn't found the time to tackle the laundry and now, for once, she was glad.

"Thank you, Ginny. This is exactly what I needed. Well, short of them coming home…" She let out a heavy sigh before pulling back the duvet cover. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

Ginny nodded, looking relieved. Without another word, she slipped under the duvet and wriggled down in the bed. Hermione settled back down too, seeking out her friend's hand between them and taking hold of it once more.

"Was this how it was, while I was with Ron and Harry on the hunt?" Although it was dark, Hermione could tell Ginny was thinking hard about her answer.

"Yes and no. This is worse. This feeling of helplessness. Whilst we were in the school, the DA worked hard to keep the Death Eaters busy, distracting them and Snape so that they'd have less time to think of you three. Neville and I were the ringleaders and it was good, in a way because it kept me distracted too. But the nights were hard. I lay in the dormitory or in the room of requirement and just worry about if you three were okay. Even the pain from my own injuries didn't help. I barely slept for a year…"

Hermione squeezed her hand tightly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. This is awful; I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I wish I could do something about it…"

"They'll be okay though Hermione. They have each other. I'd be even more worried if one of them was alone…"

Hermione tried to let Ginny's response placate her, but it barely touched the edges of her worry. "I guess. But usually, I'm there with them. I can't stand not doing anything. If I have to stand another day like tonight, I'm going to go mad. Is this how our lives are going to be from now on?!"

"Maybe after a few kidnappings, we'll get used to it?!" Ginny's attempt at a joke fell flat and neither girl laughed. "I bloody hope not. Let's try and sleep, yeah? I've told Bill he's to keep us updated, even if he has to send us a Patronus in the early hours. It'll be quicker than waiting for Robards, who probably has a million other people to tell before he gets to us. Tomorrow they'll get rescued, we have to focus on that. They'll walk into the house as if nothing has happened and we'll need our energy to give them a bollocking through putting us through all this shit!"

Hermione let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. She waited for Ginny's breathing to steady but it didn't come. Sleep was far away from her too; but she felt comfort in having Ginny next to her and in that moment, she was even more grateful than usual for their friendship.


	31. Oliver Quinn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron and Harry fight against their injuries whilst they try and work out how to escape Malfoy Manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I firmly apologise for all the anguish I've caused, although it has made me happy that I caused it! ;) I'm not sure how happy you'll be after reading this chapter, but I guess we'll wait and see. I can't wait for you to read it, I'm really proud of it. Let me know what you think! :-) xxx

When Ron woke up the first time, he was sat in a dark room. There was no source of light from anywhere, but he assumed they were still in the dungeon at Malfoy Manor. The air was close and when he tried to take a breath, it was shallow with a horrible rattling noise following it. He knew that something was seriously wrong, but at that moment, he didn't have enough energy to care about it. He felt his eyes closing again and soon he was back asleep.

When he woke again, the room was a little bit lighter; confirming that they were still in the dungeon at Malfoy Manor. He still struggled to see and he willed his eyes to focus in the dark, trying his best to pick out shapes and shadows. After a moment, once he was sure he wasn't going to fall asleep again, he tried to move but found he was bound tightly, his arms pinned to his sides and his legs out straight in front of him.

He let out another rattling breath and turned his head slowly to the side. It took a lot of his energy and he felt his faint grasp on reality start to slide again. The sight of Harry lying on the floor next to him, his eyes closed and his body bound tightly with the same bright red ropes Ron assumed were tied around himself was enough to keep him awake. He needed to know if his best friend was okay and he was relieved when Harry stirred as he gave him a firm prod with his legs.

"Oh good, you're awake…" A thin nasal voice called from across the room. Ron heard a scrambling against the stone flooring as its owner stood. He noticed a small light starting to move closer, and he was surprised to hear two sets of feet making their way across the dungeon. A gas lamp was placed on the floor in front of them and it took him a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the light before he could finally see who the voice belonged to.

"You…" Ron felt a surge of disgust riling through his body.

Stood in front of him was Oliver Quinn, the house-elf breeder they'd tried to capture last year. Although they'd managed to successfully rescue a whole litter of elves, Quinn had evaded capture by blowing up the cottage he was hiding in and apparating out of the chaos with a house-elf at his side. Ron had made it his personal mission to find Quinn ever since, quietly looking for hints of where he might be during his downtime from training, but so far his search had been unsuccessful.

"Yes, yes it's me. You seem surprised which means you and your merry band of Aurors didn't turn up here specifically for me. That's interesting…." Quinn trailed off thoughtfully.

"We've been tracing a handful of rogue Death Eaters across the country; we came here on a hunch…"

Harry shuffled awkwardly until he was sat up; almost leaning against for balance. Ron was grateful, not only that he was okay but that he'd answered for him. His chest burnt as if hot pokers were embedded deep in his lungs. He wondered if had been punctured by the charm that had incapacitated him and his thoughts were accentuated again by the wet rattling sound as he continued to take shallow gulps of air.

"Ah yes, Harry Potter…" Quinn leaned so close to the pair; Ron could smell his putrid breath. He lifted Harry's blood matted fringe, sneering at the faded scar on his forehead.

"If only the Dark Lord were still alive to see that it was I who finally captured you; achieving what none of his previous Death Eater friends managed to do since you were a baby…"

Harry struggled against his restraints. "You need to keep up with the story Quinn; plenty of them captured me. I just escaped every bloody time…"

Quinn stepped back from fear of being attacked by Harry's flailing legs.

"Oh, I wouldn't waste your energy Potter. Phillipe's magic is outstanding; he's had years of practice of course. It won't be long; he'll soon finish you off. We're just waiting to see if that pretty little Mudblood comes along to rescue her friends. We can have some fun with her and then the three of you will be sorry…"

Ron all of a sudden felt a surge of rage, unearthing his reserves of energy from deep within him. In that moment he didn't care how much his chest hurt, how hard it was to breathe or move; he pulled hard against his restraints, fighting to get to Quinn. He no longer had his wand, and he wouldn't be surprised if Quinn had broken it, but he didn't care. The anger he felt made him desperate to kill the Squib with his bare hands. As he fought against the restraints, a flow of profanity and insults spilt from his mouth.

"Philippe, silence the blood traitor…" Quinn watched as both Aurors slumped against the wall, the noise desisting. He lifted the lamp to observe them closely. The ginger was pale and it was clear his injuries were taking hold of his body. Quinn didn't think the boy had much longer left in the world and the thought pleased him. Although he'd hoped the Granger girl would have been here to see it, he acknowledged that some things were just out of your control. Potter could watch his faithful friend die slowly, then he'd kill him and go after the Mudblood separately. She will be a lot easier to capture without her bodyguards around her.

"Five minutes then wake them back up again. I want to get this over and done with, but they both need to be awake. I want them to suffer…" Quinn walked away from the pair, leaving Phillipe with the lamp to watch over them.

Quinn's quiet didn't last for long. As soon as he'd settled in the pile of rags that constituted for a bed, he heard the house-elf whispering rennervate at the pair. He sighed, rubbing his temples for a second. His head had been pounding since the intruder identification charms had gone off late yesterday afternoon and the ache was only getting worse. He heaved his great mass from off the floor and wandered back over to the Aurors.

"Why are we here? This can't just be about the house-elves…"

Potter's voice sounded tired, wavering in fear and Quinn took great satisfaction in learning that the Boy-Who-Lived wasn't as brave as he had been made out to be. He knew the Daily Prophet and Dumbledore loved spinning a pretty lie, but he'd never fully understood the full extent of it until now.

"Of course this is about the house-elves. They were my livelihood, tethering me to the magical world. They were the only link I had left and you and your friend here destroyed all of it. You even had the gall to take my family home from me in the process. For years, you and your friends have been allowed to run amock and do what you want with the Ministry turning a blind eye to it but I'm fed up with it! You claim you're doing good, but all you do is destroy people's lives without even considering the implications of your actions…"

Quinn's tirade was stopped as the Weasley boy finally spoke up, although his voice was weak, barely audible above the rattle of his chest.

"We were sent to investigate your house. We had reasons to believe that you were mistreating those house-elves. And it was a good job we did. I don't regret a single thing we've done. They are thriving where they are now. You can't just go about using magical creatures for your own sick purposes, especially not now the new laws are in place…."

"DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT BEING MISTREATED! YOU DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT IT!" Quinn bellowed in their faces, a red rage filling his face, making the already ugly man look even more grotesque, almost like a troll. He spat at Ron and Harry's feet.

"Magical people have mistreated me all my life. Do you know how hard it was being a Squib in a pure-blood family?! They were disgusted with me and I had to see it every time they looked at me. In the end, they hid me away, ashamed of what I was. They told their friends I had died but they were too cowardly to actually put me out of my misery!

"I was so lucky that they chose Philippe to look after me. He brought me food, cared for me when I was ill. He was the only thing who loved me or treated me like a real human. He was dedicated to me, so much so that he helped me to kill my parents." Quinn let out a maniacal laugh. "The fools didn't see that coming!"

Ron watched, a horrified look on his face as Quinn started to pace in front of them, his fists clenched angrily at his sides. He tried his best to follow Quinn's steps, but the effort fast became too much for him. He was finding it harder and harder to stay awake but he knew he needed to fight the urge to close his eyes; he couldn't let the Squib win.

"After my parents died, I took over their house at Long Buckby, but without money, the house fell into disrepair. My parents were keen followers of the Dark Lord and he visited me when he heard of their deaths; he was sad to lose such devoted friends. I was desperate to serve him; I offered him the house as a hiding spot but he too turned me away. He had no need for Squibs, even with Philippe's incredible powers. I threw myself at his feet, offering myself as a sacrifice for his snake Nagini, but he refused. I wasn't even worth that to him.

"I looked for other ways to be useful. Despite his harsh treatment of me, I was still devoted to the Dark Lord. As he grew in power, the magical community found it harder to resist the pull of his ideas, the idea that living in a world where pure-bloods rule seemed to be at the forefront of most people's minds.

"You might think it crazy that I longed to serve him considering what I was but he had everything I desired - money, power, respect. I'd hoped to discover a way that I could channel Philippe's powers to make myself more useful to him, but my attempts were ineffective.

"However, the more work he gave to his Death Eaters, the more the magical community needed help in managing their households. It was Philippe who came up with the idea of starting to breed elves and he became my finest worker until he grew too old to keep up with the demand. Soon, I was getting a reputation; more and more people came to me. I was starting to get the respect I so craved.

"I went to the Dark Lord again, whilst he was staying here at Malfoy Manor. Despite the hard work I'd done to help his followers, I was still turned away. Blood status really was everything to him. Lucius Malfoy threatened to get rid of me if I bothered them again – that's why I went into hiding at Long Buckby, although I still carried on breeding the elves; mostly so that they could keep me company. If that Mudblood hadn't stuck her nose in my business, I would have been doing just fine…"

"It seems we have something in common, Quinn." Harry's interjection startled the Squib and he spun on his heel to look at them. Harry felt tired and he could feel the weight of Ron's body slumped against him. He knew his friend was in trouble and he had to try and keep Quinn talking if they had any chance of surviving until they were rescued. "It turns out Tom Riddle didn't like either of us!"

"He was far too obsessed with capturing and killing you, but I could have helped! Just look what I've managed to do with only Philippe's power." Quinn laughed and turned away. "I think it's time Philippe, loosen their bindings. I want to see them really struggle…"

Ron forced his eyes open again as the house-elf drew closer. The creature looked nervous and there was a tremor in his hand as he reached for Harry's bindings first.

"You know there's a better life for you out there, Philippe…" Every word Ron spoke struck like a dagger in his lungs, but he pushed on regardless. He kept a picture of Hermione firmly in the front of his mind and used it to ignite his need to fight. He knew he needed to get the house-elf onto their side; without him, they had no hope in escaping the ropes or capturing Quinn.

"My girlfriend, Hermione Granger…" He took another rattling breath, the sound of her name causing an ache in his heart. "She's been working hard to make the lives of house-elves better. She even put an elf in charge of the department responsible for looking after your kind and helped to set up a sanctuary at Hogwarts for rescued elves. All your friends from Long Buckby are there. They have been allowed to choose where they live and where they work…

"Your relationship with Quinn is toxic. You've been a good friend to him, but he's used you. I'm sorry, but it's true." Ron coughed with the continued effort of his speech. He felt as if he was on borrowed time, that he was drowning in his injuries. He was cold but he tried his best to sit up straighter, bolstered by Harry at his side. "Those people you've killed, the damage you've caused. That was all Quinn. Harry and I will testify against him and you'll be helped, I promise…"

The house-elf gave up loosening Harry's bonds and hung his head low. His ears drooped and there were tears in his eyes. "Quinn was a good friend and master. He loves Philippe…"

"Quinn was not a good friend or master to you."

"Philippe never meant to hurt anyone. Philippe loves Master Quinn, he's all he has left…"

"You can have better, Philippe. Please. Don't kill anyone else. We can find you a house where you'll be loved, where you can retire in peace…"

Ron watched as the house-elf glanced at Quinn, who was washing his face in a dirty looking bucket in the corner of the room. Something changed in the house-elf's eyes. The tears stopped and it was like Philippe was seeing his Master in a new light, as if the blindfold shielding him from the horrors of his life had been lifted.

All of a sudden, the elderly elf started clawing desperately at himself as he grappled with the realisation of what his life had become. The internal battle continued as time after time the house-elf dragged his nails across his thin skin, drawing blood from fine lines all over his body. Then, just as swiftly as it had started, he stopped and pulled himself up tall. His ears no longer drooped and the tears had dried from his eyes.

"Philippe is sorry for what he was done." With an anguished cry that Ron and Harry felt deep in their bones, the elf turned; crossing the gap between him and his master in a blink of an eye. As he passed the small gas lamp, Ron noticed a glint of silver and before he could even register what was happening, Philippe had reached Quinn, plunging the knife into the disgusting Squib's back over and over again.

"No! Philippe! Stop! It's not worth it!" Both Harry and Ron were fighting against their restraints now, summoning the last of their energy but the bonds held fast. They had no choice but to watch the horror play out in front of them.

Finally satisfied that Quinn was dead Philippe stood away from his master, letting the body fall to the floor. He turned back to the Aurors and bowed low, his nose almost touching the blood pooling at his feet. When he raised his head again, he looked finally at peace.

"Forgive me…" He held the knife to his throat, continuing to stare at Ron and Harry as he slowly ran it across his own neck, a red line of blood appearing like a grotesque smile. He fell suddenly to the floor and Harry and Ron felt the rope binding them fall away, telling them that Philippe was gone.

The pair sat in shock as whatever magic was shielding them from the Auror's rescue efforts disapparated in front of them, dissolving into the stone of their prison. All of a sudden, they could hear the shouting from their colleagues and Ron was even sure he could hear Bill's voice.

Ron tried to move, but he found the last of his energy fading. He gave up his fight against his injuries and watched as the Aurors swarmed into the room, half of the group turning towards the bodies of Quinn and Philippe whilst the other half, led by Head Auror Robards came running towards him and Harry. Ron noticed the wizard looked haggard and he used the last of his energy to let out a low chuckle. It seemed his boss actually cared for them, and he made a mental note to wind him up about it when he could. He felt a strong pair of arms pull him up from the floor and he closed his eyes.

"At least I'm not going to die in Malfoy Manor…" He couldn't even tell if he was speaking or thinking anymore. The picture of Hermione he'd summoned to the front of his brain earlier started to fade as he gave in to the darkness once again.


	32. St. Mungo's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione finally gets word about Ron and Harry's rescue and flees to St Mungo's to see their conditions for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kind words. Did you know that after this chapter, we only have one left?! It's been a rollercoaster, hasn't it?! It took me a while to get into Hermione's brain and work out how she'd react to everything. I hope I got this right! :)
> 
> Also, look at the delightful cover image Kora Kwidditch over at Hermione's Nook made as my reward for finishing NaNoWriMo. I will add it to all the other chapters eventually! <3

Hermione felt like she was living through all her worst nightmares at the same time. She ran down the grey corridor; feeling as if her legs were moving as fast as they could but yet, she wasn't getting anywhere nearer to her destination. She was treading through jelly; all of it working to delay the moment when she could finally find out how Ron was.

She turned a corner, almost colliding with a healer in pale peach robes. She clawed at the poor woman, almost in desperation. "Room 247, where is it?"

In credit to her, the healer didn't flinch. She'd probably dealt with much more frantic patients than Hermione. "Carry down this corridor, turn right, 3rd room on your left but I have to warn you the patient is not awake yet…"

Hermione let go of her as soon as she received the instructions and hurtled away, not hearing the last of her sentence.

Just an hour ago she'd been in Ron's old bed at the Burrow. She couldn't remember falling asleep, but she must have dropped off at some point as she was suddenly woken by the sound of Molly calling her name.

She had stirred, feeling a strange sense of disorientation. There was a weight in her arms that she didn't recognise and she was lying on a mattress that definitely wasn't hers. She wanted to open her eyes and be back at Primrose Cottage, sleeping soundly in the knowledge that everything was okay, but even in her sleep-addled mind, she knew that wasn't going to happen.

She forced herself to open her eyes anyway and face the grim reality of the day. She let out a loud groan, hating the gritty feel that only a couple of hours rest had given her; it made her feel unclean and unequipped to deal with everything. She turned her head as the weight in her arms shifted and sighed as she saw Ginny's head lying next to hers on the pillow. They must have gravitated together whilst asleep and Hermione had her arms wrapped firmly around the youngest Weasley. It had obviously given them enough comfort to ease them into a short sleep.

Hermione heard her name being called again, followed closely by Ginny's. Molly's voice sounded urgent, bringing Hermione crashing back to reality, reminding her of why she was at the Burrow. She sat up suddenly as her heart pulsed with pain, not caring that she had woken a still sleeping Ginny in the process.

"What's going on?" Ginny groaned as she was forced to sit up, rubbing at her eyes.

"Your mum is calling us…" Hermione was already halfway out of bed, pulling on the first pair of bottoms she'd found in the bag Ginny had brought her. "Ginny come on!" She didn't wait for the girl as she left the bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time until she made it into the living room.

The first thing she'd noticed was that Molly and Arthur were not alone. Sat in the small armchair nearest to the fireplace was a dishevelled looking Robards. The Head Auror had deep circles under his eyes and was looking older than his years and Hermione realised that he probably hadn't slept since their meeting the evening before. It wasn't until she spotted the bloodstains on his robes and the grim look on his face that she felt her legs to turn to jelly, her stomach lurching dangerously.

"Wh-what's happened, is he okay?" She gripped hold of the back of the sofa, using the material to edge her way around, desperate to sit down before her legs gave away completely. She felt Molly press a warm cup of tea into her hands, although she knew she wasn't going to drink from it. She glared at Robards, who refused to tell her anything or even make eye contact with her until Ginny was sat on the sofa. Molly and Arthur soon joined them, sandwiching the girls between them in a desperate attempt to keep them safe.

Robards cleared his throat, finally looking up at the family. "In the early hours of the morning, a little after dawn, the magical shield preventing us from completing our rescue mission fell. We were able to get quick access to the dungeon at Malfoy Manor and rescue Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. Harry seems to have escaped mostly unscathed, with just a minor injury and dehydration. Ronald on the other hand hasn't fared so well…"

Robards was forced to pause as Molly let out an anguished cry. Hermione felt it pierce deep in her soul, but she didn't flinch at it. She needed to know everything, all the details of the extent of his injuries before she reacted. Instead, she kept her deep brown eyes firmly on the Head Auror, her gaze steady and unfaltering.

"Is he alive?" The teacup shook in her hands as she spoke the words and she felt both Ginny and Arthur tighten their grips on her arm. Molly's hand found its way across the sofa, and the four of them sat intertwined, hanging on to Robard's every word.

"He is alive… just. He suffered a pneumothorax – that is, a punctured lung. We've never seen a curse that can do that much damage so it's proved difficult to treat him. In the end, we had to speak to our trusted source at St. Thomas' Hospital, who floo'd straight over. He's having a chest tube inserted to drain the air from his lungs and they've put him in a magically induced coma for the procedure. It was the only way…"

Hermione nodded as her heartbeat started to speed up. Ron was alive, for the moment, and although the mention of the use of a muggle procedure was reassuring, it also meant that she knew what could go wrong.

She found herself unwrapping herself from the grip of the Weasleys, almost as if she were working on autopilot. She calmly pulled on the shoes she'd left at the back door, not caring about whether she matched or how she looked before walking to the fireplace. She gave Robards a curt nod and without even considering whether the rest of the family were following her, she took a handful of floo powder from the jar on the mantlepiece and stepped into the fireplace.

It wasn't until she saw the long queue of people waiting to speak to the Welcome Witch that she felt the urgent panic bubbling up from her stomach. She hurried to the front of the desk, ignoring the complaints from the witches and wizards waiting, her eyes wild with fear. Luckily, the receptionist had felt sympathetic, probably taking one look at the state of Hermione and given her the right floor and room straight away.

And that's how she found herself racing through the corridors at St. Mungo's Hospital, desperately weaving through staff and visitors. She stopped suddenly as she saw Harry waiting outside a room, his arm in a sling and looking pale and a bit lost but otherwise okay. She started to take a tentative step towards him, desperate to get to him, to work out what was going on but she found herself being suddenly pushed aside. Hermione watched as Ginny threw herself at her husband, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she cried into his neck. She stood rooted to the spot, a wave of jealousy travelling over her body and for a moment, she felt angry with Harry and Ginny. Why did they get to be okay, to be together again while her boyfriend lay in a hospital bed alone? She wanted to be the one to throw her arms around Ron, to be comforted by him just like Harry was doing with Ginny right now (even with only one good arm).

She felt her throat constrict as she suppressed a cry. Harry lifted his head from where it was buried in Ginny's hair and nodded Hermione over. Hermione quickly closed the gap between them and she felt Harry lift his bad arm and drape it awkwardly over her shoulder, pulling her close too. The three of them stayed stood like this, ignoring the hospital visitors and healers as they moved around them until Molly and Arthur finally joined them. Hermione took a step away to allow Molly to make her usual checks on Harry.

"Where is he? Is he okay? Are you okay?" Molly wrung her hands as she stepped back from her son-in-law, satisfied that he was okay.

Harry nodded towards a grey door. "They just brought him up. He's still asleep…"

The door was ajar and Hermione could hear the steady beep of the monitoring spells keeping an eye on Ron's stats. She stared at the door, not sure what to do with herself next. She thought she'd be the first person to step across the threshold, but now she was here she was scared of what lay beyond the door. It wasn't as if it were the first time she'd seen Ron in a hospital bed; there had been plenty of times during their friendship and then her relationship when she'd kept a patient watch over him whilst he rested from various ailments and injuries. This time it felt different, as if there were more weight on it, more pressure for him to be okay, although she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

It was almost as if Harry knew what she was thinking. He slipped his hand into hers and pulled her close. "Only two visitors allowed at a time. Molly, Arthur – you should go first."

Harry gave her hand a firm squeeze and led her and Ginny to the chairs outside the room. "It was my fault, you know…" He let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, tears were shining in them.

"It was my idea to go to Malfoy Manor. I was pissed that we hadn't found anyone, despite all the leads. We were close anyway, so I just thought it was worth a try. It was my detection charms that found signs of life in the dungeon, although Ron was the one who suggested we were the ones to investigate. I should have known he wouldn't be able to handle going back down there, I should have recognised the signs of the panic attack."

He let go of Hermione's hand to rub his forehead. He was dealing with a lot of stress. It was just like Harry to be a martyr, to put everything on himself but Hermione couldn't bring herself to comfort him, at least not right now. She let Ginny take the lead, her lips pursed tightly.

"It was Quinn. He'd been hiding there since we visited his house last November. He had a house-elf with him, a really powerful one. Ron tried his best to persuade him there was a better life for him but it was no good. Philippe turned on Quinn; he killed him before slitting his own throat…" Harry let out a long shiver as he remembered the events from the morning, but she still couldn't reach out to comfort him.

Instead, she stared at the gap in the door, fighting the conflict of the desperate need to see Ron, but being scared to do so, just in case. Eventually, Molly and Arthur emerged and Hermione's choice was taken from her. She even offered to let Ginny and Harry go first, but after reassurance from her parents that her brother was okay, Ginny decided to focus on Harry for the time being.

"It's your turn lovey…" Molly rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. "He's okay; just asleep. We're going to go and see the healers and fetch some things for him. I'll bring your bag along too, okay?"

Hermione watched as Molly and Arthur headed down the corridor before finally standing, her autopilot engaging again she took a few steps towards the room. She hesitated at the doorway, vaguely hearing Harry and Ginny saying something about going to get them some breakfast before taking a deep breath and crossing the threshold.

Her heart stopped as she finally laid eyes on Ron. A tube was secured tightly to his chest and all around him, the monitoring charms did their work, tracking his pulse and blood pressure. Although she couldn't see the wires and cables tethering him to life, she could feel the presence of the magic. He was her boyfriend and yet he looked strangely unfamiliar; pale and small and almost drowning in the hospital bed. Hermione desperately wished she knew a way to make him better, but although she racked her brains for all the healing charms and potions she knew, she couldn't find anything that would ease his pain. Instead she sat herself in the chair, picking up his hand and pressing a kiss against it before holding on to it tightly, almost as if she was scared to let it go and have him slip away.

Hermione kept a watch over Ron for the rest of the day. She was aware that other family members came and left, bringing clothes and food as well as books and other things to keep her occupied but she barely paid them any attention, her eyes fixed solely on Ron, wishing for him to wake up. She knew he desperately needed to hear his voice, to hear him say that everything was going to be okay.

After almost 12 hours sitting next to his bed, Hermione was roused from her thoughts by a short knock on the door. She lifted her head, surprised to see Lavender lingering in the doorway. The pretty girl had her curly blond hair pulled back in a tight braid and was wearing the familiar peach coloured healer robes.

"I was just starting my break and I heard…" Lavender went to take a step further into the room but hesitated. "I just… I just needed to check if he was okay?"

The last time Hermione had seen Lavender was at Harry and Ginny's wedding, almost a year ago. She was looking well, the scar across her face was healing nicely although Hermione could see the still red slash disappearing under the neck of her robes. Fenrir had gotten her almost as good as he'd had Bill and Hermione shuddered as she remembered watching the werewolf speeding after Lavender as she tried to recover from her awful fall. He had that look in his eye, one that said he was planning on turning the blonde into his dinner and she might have suffered a fate worse than death if Hermione had not thrown the curse at him.

She contemplated Lavender for a minute longer before finally speaking. "Why don't you come in?" She nodded towards the spare chair next to her, trying to summon a friendly smile but failing miserably.

Lavender took the seat quietly after glancing quickly over at Ron. The girls sat in silence for a while, before Lavender finally spoke up.

"My break is for half an hour and then I have to go and do rounds. I'll probably be back in here to change his drips but if you need a break – some time to fresh up, I don't mind waiting with him…"

Hermione turned her head towards her, suddenly seeing the girl in a new light. Where once she thought they were almost enemies, fighting over the same love interest; now she only saw someone who cared for Ron almost as much as she did. She didn't feel threatened by that knowledge, there was no doubt in her mind that Ron had any feelings for Lavender other than platonic now and it was a testament to the amount of work her and Ron had done to build on their relationship. She regarded what she was wearing, a pair of holey grey sweatpants, Ron's jumper, and her work heels. She looked and felt a mess and she hated that Ron might open his eyes and see her like this. She let out a relieved nod.

"I've needed the toilet for an hour, I just didn't want him to wake up and nobody be here…" The thought caught in her throat and all of the tears Hermione had been trying so desperately to hold back finally escaped her eyes. She was surprised when Lavender threw her arms around her and held her until her sobs subsided.

"Go and get some fresh air and get changed. You look a mess and you don't want him to wake up and see you like this. He'll need strong Hermione, okay?" The blonde rubbed Hermione's back softly before pulling away from the hug. "And you need a break. It's an order!"

Hermione nodded again and carefully got up, leaning over Ron to kiss his forehead before finally letting go of his hand. She cast her eyes over him one last time before grabbing the bag of her stuff Molly had brought over and quickly leaving the room, seeking out a bathroom. She needed to freshen up before she could even contemplate getting something to eat.

Half an hour later, with her face washed and teeth brushed, Hermione made her way back to the room. She was dressed in something a lot more sensible, old jeans with Ron's jumper back over her head and with comfortable trainers on her feet. She felt more like herself and ready to face whatever came next. She had two cups of coffee in her hands, deciding to treat Lavender after her surprising show of support. As she rounded the corner to the room, she noticed a flurry of activity. She felt her stomach lurch, her mind once again going to the worst possible outcome.

However, her fears went unfounded. She entered the room to see Ron sitting up in bed, looking pale and a bit bewildered but otherwise awake and fine.

Ron had been surprised to see Lavender waiting by the side of his bed when he woke up. As soon as he'd asked for Hermione, the blonde had sprung into action, calling for help as she'd helped him sit up, being extra careful with his drain. He'd sat there, letting the healers check him over although all the fussing was making his head pound. Lavender had reassured him that Hermione hadn't gone far, but he knew he wouldn't be able to rest until he knew she was safe. Although he knew Quinn had been killed by Philippe, he didn't think he'd ever be able to forget that vision from his mind, he had threatened Hermione so of course, there was still a risk.

Finally, he spotted her waiting at the edge of his room, a small smile breaking out on her face as he made eye contact with her. He rested his head back against the bed and let the healers continue their tests, relief washing over his body.

Eventually, the room emptied and Hermione approached the bed. She put the coffee cups down on the side, moving her hands to her hips as she stood over him.

"You're in serious trouble, you know that…"

"Why?" Ron croaked, a small frown forming over his face.

"You had me worried to death, Ronald Weasley! You're so lucky you're in a hospital bed right now because otherwise, I would hex you to the other end of the earth!" Hermione felt hot tears appear in her eyes again, which only served to frustrate her more.

Ron attempted a laugh, closing his eyes as he started to cough. Everything hurt and here was the love of his life, berating him for almost dying.

Things were all right again, or as close as they ever would be given his career. Once his coughing fit was over, he opened his eyes again. Hermione was still there standing at the side of his bed, crying over him. He raised his eyebrows, not having the energy to try and placate her with words. Instead, he just lifted his arm in an invitation to join him.

Hermione laughed, despite her tears and toed off her trainers before carefully climbing onto the bed next to him. He always knew how to make her feel better. She studied him carefully, checking his face for any signs of damage. "Are you okay?"

"I am now…" He lifted his hand to stroke her hair, closing his eyes again. "I was so scared Hermione…"

"You're safe now, I promise…" She slid her hand over his stomach, being careful of the chest drain attached to his side. She pressed one small kiss against his cracked, dry lips before resting her head against the crook of his shoulder. She was determined to stay by his side, not even moving as his family piled into the room; ignoring the two-person rule to celebrate him finally being awake.


	33. Graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron recovers and Hermione gets more than one surprise as graduation draws near.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are, at the end of another mammoth fic. I had so many ideas I wanted to have happen to Ron and Hermione and a thousand more ends to tie up, but nothing was long enough for me to work into full chapters; although Merlin knows I tried. Nonetheless, I hope these flashes into their life post-Quinn is good and I hope you enjoy the ending, I know I did. There will be another sequel, I just can't help it with these two and as soon as I wrote the final words of this chapter, it was calling out to be written. However, I have also joined the IWSC competition this year, so it may not get posted straight away. Make sure you subscribe to me to get the new story when it finally comes out.
> 
> Lastly, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate. Thank you so much for your support and kind words. You've really helped me to survive this crazy pandemic. The last chapter of Merry Witchmas should be out tomorrow or Boxing Day too, so keep your eyes peeled for that! xxx

A hearing was held about what happened at Malfoy Manor; that was to be expected. Confined to his bed for strict rest meant Ron had nothing else to do but obsess about the outcome, regularly pestering Harry when he came to visit and sending owls to Robards whenever he could. He had pleaded to be allowed to go, but everyone had refused. 

Instead, he’d been questioned from his bed at Primrose Cottage, which was extremely uncomfortable and awkward and Ron had reminded himself never to get into a position where Robards would have to enter his bedroom again.

His frustration at being left out from the tribunal was compounded by the way his mother clucked around the cottage after him, choosing moments when she knew Hermione was out to come over and fuss.

Fortunately, the results went in his favour. Ultimately, the group’s decision to investigate Malfoy Manor had been a good one, resulting in another dangerous criminal being taken off the streets (although Robards had reminded Ron when he’d visited with the outcome that he preferred his criminals behind bars and not dead). A decision had also been made to make therapy mandatory for all Aurors, including those going through the training academy, to avoid the crippling panic attacks that had put Ron in such a vulnerable position during their mission. He had already been feeling the benefits from the sessions that had been prescribed for him by one of the more radical thinking healers treating him at the hospital and he’d been preaching to anyone who visited him to check on his progress.

As his energy and strength started to return, Ron took to going for walks; mostly to distract himself. Although he preferred to do this alone, sometimes he allowed his mother to join him. He started small, increasing the number of laps he took around their tiny garden before slowly increasing his range. His goal was to get to the Burrow by himself on foot, then he’d know he was really recovered.

That morning, he’d attempted to crest the large hill between Primrose Cottage and The Burrow; almost making it before having to give up. He said goodbye to Molly as he caught his breath, watching her disappear over the top before slowly making his way back to the cottage. He was surprised to see a large box addressed to Hermione waiting outside the front door. He summoned the last of his energy to move it into the house, ensuring it was in a prime position before making himself lunch and settling on the sofa, awaiting Hermione’s return from work where she’d been tying up the last of the MACUSA paperwork.

The living room had already been starting to turn dark when she finally folded herself out of the fireplace. Ron didn’t mind; in the early days after his release from the hospital, she’d barely stepped foot into the Ministry unless it was really urgent. Instead, she focused all her attention on looking after him and helping him to heal. 

The nightmares had been particularly bad, especially before the therapy had started helping and Hermione had wanted to be sure she had the energy to look after him. She was lucky enough to be in a position where she could afford to take the time off.

“Hey, beautiful…” Ron pushed himself off the sofa to greet her, placing a loving kiss on her forehead before taking her light summer robes from her.

“Hey yourself, how are you doing?” She regarded him carefully, as she often did when she’d been away from him for the day and therefore hadn’t been personally responsible for making sure he stayed out of trouble.

“Not too bad! I almost made it to the top of Stoat’s Hill with mum. I’ll get there tomorrow for sure…” He placed his hand on her shoulder and started to steer her towards the kitchen. 

“I made dinner; did you eat lunch today?”

“You know I didn’t…” Hermione responded wryly, letting him push her into a chair at the table. She frowned at the pile of books sat waiting for her. “What are these?” She took the one off the top, her eyes lighting up. “It’s my book! I’d forgotten the publishing company were sending them over!”

“They came this morning. I almost owled you but I thought I’d leave it as a surprise! I didn’t peek, I promise. I thought maybe you could show me later, after dinner..” He smiled as he started serving up dinner; leaving her to flick through the pages of her new book.

~*~

When Ron was finally allowed back to work, he was thrust into preparations for their final assessments and exams. With almost two months out of it, he felt completely unready – especially as they were so important. If he failed, he’d be forced to look for another career. The ordeal at Malfoy Manor hadn’t put him off unlike his last run-in with Quinn. If nothing else, he was desperate to catch the remaining Death Eaters they’d been tracking. Luckily, the hard work he’d put in over the past three years meant that by the time he was back to training full time, he actually didn’t have a lot of catching up to do.

The rest of the year passed by in a flurry of activity. With Hermione taking up a new role in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Ron’s ever-increasing hours spent training and revising, the couple found it difficult to align their schedules. They moved into a routine of staying up late or waking early, desperately seeking out even an hour where they could be completely alone. It seemed to work for them; they spent more time looking for different ways to show appreciation of one another – a bubble bath drawn for Ron after a testing day spent duelling Harry, a packed lunch appearing on Hermione’s desk, internal memos flying between departments. The distance brought them closer together, and they didn’t think things could get better than this.

The Winter soon melted into Spring, as seasons so often do. Ron woke one Saturday morning, just a few days after his birthday to find Hermione sleeping peacefully in the bed next to him. He was excited for the day ahead of them; after the long, arduous slog of their final assessments he, Harry and Neville had made it into the ranks of the Auror department; following in the footsteps of Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

He turned his attention back to his sleeping girlfriend, letting out a content sigh. The early spring sun had crept through the blinds, drawing lines along her curls which despite her best efforts never seemed to stay in the messy bun she pulled onto her head night after night. He couldn’t resist; he dropped his head to press the softest of kisses against her lips as he combed his fingers gently through her hair. 

He had a whole uninterrupted weekend with her; a rarity at the moment, and he didn’t want to waste one minute of their time together.

He carried on kissing her as he felt her start to stir underneath him, grinning as she reciprocated the kisses eagerly. He shifted further over her; pushing their duvet off the bed to give him better access to her body. She still slept in one of his old, holey t-shirts and a pair of comfortable-looking knickers; something which he found sexier than all the lacy lingerie in the world. His hand trailed down her side and under the material of her top, moving back up over her stomach to gently cup a breast.

“Mmmm….. good morning…” Hermione slowly opened her eyes, a smile appearing on her face as she locked eyes with Ron. She absolutely loved it when he woke her up like this, although usually, it was the other way around since she was the early bird in the relationship. She reached up lazily, looping her arms around his neck, and pushing his head closer to hers for a hungry kiss.

They lay next to each other afterwards; fingers tangled on the bed between them and their clothes pooled at their feet.

“Well, that was a good start to my graduation weekend…” Ron turned his head, giving her a wide smirk.

“Weekend?!” Hermione couldn’t help but let a laugh escape her lips as she rolled back towards him. He loved extending celebrations; Christmas usually lasted a week and his birthday could sometimes stretch out for the whole month if he really tried.

“Yeah – me, Harry and Nev deserve it, we’ve been working hard; especially recently. Three months of gruelling assessments, showing how amazing we are and then three months of being a proper Auror and working our backsides off to keep you safe. I’m going to enjoy every minute of my weekend…”

Well okay, I guess you deserve it!” Hermione laughed. “Come on then – my proper protective Auror needs a good breakfast so he can graduate and continue saving the world…” She scratched his tummy gently before starting to move.

A few hours later, they joined the rest of the Weasley family waiting outside the Great Hall in the Ministry of Magic, where just a few months ago they’d attended their second Yule Ball together. As they waited for the doors to open, Hermione took the opportunity to check his uniform one last time, straightening one of the buttons at the top of his robes.

“You look really handsome, I’m proud of you Ron…” She gave him a loving kiss, resisting the urge to slide her hands back into his hair and pull him into a dark corner somewhere. She found his Auror uniform so sexy, it took a lot of her self-control to step away from him.

“Just because I’m handsome?!” He gave her his patented lop-sided smile.

“No…” Hermione looked indignant at the accusation. “Because you’re a bloody good Auror too. You’ve worked so hard…”

Ron grinned, pulling her back for another quick kiss as the doors to the hall opened. “I love you…” He pushed her in the direction of his family before heading into the room with the rest of his cohort. Once he was in his seat, he glanced back over to Hermione; watching as she took a seat next to Ginny. He gave her a small wave before turning his attention to the ceremony.

Luckily, it was a short affair. Robards opened the proceedings with a short speech before letting Kingsley take over. 

The Minister talked of the importance of the graduation, especially given the fact that the graduating class included the students who had led the war against Voldemort and of the significance that meant for their community.

Their class was small – there’d been a high number of dropouts over their last few months so it meant that the presentation of awards didn’t last long. Despite the formality of the occasion, neither Hermione nor Ginny could resist getting to their feet when Harry, Ron and Neville’s names were called, laughing as the rest of the family joined them in a standing ovation.

After the formal ceremony, the family congregated at the Burrow where Molly had put on one of her best buffets. Slowly, they were joined by their wider family and friendship group and the afternoon was full of food, alcohol, and love.

Despite her best attempts to stay close to him, she found herself being kept apart from him by family members keen to know what she was up to next. She lost count of the number of times she had been forced to explain her new position within the Ministry; she was responsible for reviewing their laws and looking for opportunities for improvements, liaising closely with the heads of departments as well as key people in the muggle world only to find her audience soon take on a glassy-eyed look. She knew the development of wizarding laws was boring to everyone else, so she wondered why people really asked if they just weren’t interested.

She finally got fed up of not being with Ron when she found herself stuck between Great-Aunt Muriel and a wizard who looked like he could be one of the many Weasley cousins. Muriel was describing in great detail why Hermione shouldn’t have chosen the smart dress she wore to the ceremony and Hermione found her eyes drifting back over the party, desperately seeking out Ron. She finally spotted him sat in a quiet corner of the room, a bottle of beer clutched in his hands. She excused herself, not caring if her abrupt departure sounded rude and made her way over to him, helping herself to another glass of wine as she moved.

“Hey, you…” She stood in front of him, smiling as he looked up at her. She was glad to see he looked happy too.

“Hey, beautiful…” He picked up her spare hand and pressed a kiss against it.

“Your Aunt Muriel doesn’t think so. Apparently, my choice of dress ages me by 15 years…” She smirked at his confused look. “Fancy taking a walk?”

He nodded and drained the last of his bottle, leaving it on the side. He peeled her wine glass from her hands and left it with the bottle before pushing himself out of his chair and letting her lead him out of the Burrow and into the garden.

They walked silently down to their spot by the lake, their hands swinging happily between them. With an unspoken agreement they sat themselves down, Hermione settling in between his legs and waiting for him to wrap his arms around her before leaning back against him.

“Today has been really lovely…” She traced the familiar paths of his scars up his now bare arms. The weather had been unseasonably warm for mid-March and Ron had removed his Auror robes not long after getting back from the Ministry, rolling his shirt sleeves up too.

“It really has. I suspect you and Ginny had some do in putting together this party?!”

“Well your mum wanted a quieter affair, but we brought her around by offering to help her cook. That’s where I was most of yesterday…”

Ron gasped in mock shock. “You mean you took a day off work?!”

“Yes… it happens occasionally…” She laughed, linking her fingers with his. “Are you happy Ron?”

He had been busy nestling his nose into her hair, breathing in her scent. Even after all these years, it brought familiar scenes racing back to his mind - sharing a workbench with her in Potions class, the smell of the fire at the Gryffindor common room. Despite this, her question took him a little by surprise, although he didn’t need to think twice about the answer.

“More than happy. This year has been perfect Hermione…”

“Good!” She smiled to herself. “You deserve it…”

“ _We_ deserve it. After everything we’ve been through ‘Mione, we deserve a little chunk of happiness…”

Hermione watched a pair of ducks make their way across the lake as she pondered her next question to him. Her stomach tied was tied in knots, she knew what she wanted to ask him; but despite her weeks of rehearsing, the words felt false and weird now it came down to it.

“So what are our next steps? We have the house, we have good careers, Harry isn’t in mortal peril, at least for now…”

“A puppy?”

She couldn’t help the loud laugh that escaped her lips. She was trying to be serious with him, yet all he could do was make jokes. He’d been trying for months to persuade her to adopt a Crup puppy, fuelled by the new litter Hagrid was taking care of but so far she’d resisted his pleas; telling herself and him that they were far too busy to look after it properly and it wouldn’t be fair on the poor animal. 

However, she didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to put him off.

“I was thinking of something else…” She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting the Spring sun warm her face.

“Yeah?” Ron turned his head to watch her closely, a curious smile on his face.

“I was wondering if…”

“Wait!” Hermione frowned and opened her eyes again as he rudely interrupted her. He was a bundle of energy and she found herself being shifted forward as he got up from where he was sat, moving instead to kneel in front of her. She let him lace his fingers with hers again.

“Let me try and guess. I love this game!” He looked thoughtful as he played with her fingers, his other hand resting on her knee. “Do you want us to move to Australia to be closer to your parents?”

She laughed, deciding to play along. “No…”

“Good, because I can’t handle the sunburn and you hate it when I moan it’s too hot!” He chewed his lower lip. “Do you want us to buy a bigger house?!”

“No, what’s wrong with Primrose Cottage?!”

“Nothing! It’s perfect and I’ve been learning from dad how to magically build on it, just in case…”

She frowned, wanting to question what he meant by ‘just in case’ but he didn’t let her get a word out.

“Okay, okay – I have one last guess. Close your eyes…” He grinned as her frown almost doubled in size, causing those cute little wrinkles he could never tell her he loved as it usually pissed her off more. “Come on, humour me…” He squeezed her hand.

Hermione did what she was told, closing her eyes tightly and not daring to peep; knowing he would not be impressed if she cheated. Her senses were always heightened when one was removed from her – she felt his thumb running patterns over the back of her hand, the air tickling over her bare knee as he removed his other hand and heard the rustle of his pocket as he dug something out. Suddenly, a small box was pressed into her hand.

“My last guess is…” He paused for dramatic effect and Hermione almost cursed him. Her heart was pounding, she was desperate to open her eyes and see what he’d gifted her with.

“Ron…” She protested with a small moan.

“Fine – you were wondering if I wanted to marry you?”

Hermione’s heart lurched, though not in a displeasing way; how the hell did he know?! She felt tears start to collect in the corner of her eyes as she opened them quickly, though her frown had been replaced with the biggest smile Ron had ever seen.

“Is that a lucky guess?” Hermione tried to laugh, although her hand was shaking as she admired the box.

“Are you going to open it and find out?!” Ron watched her expectantly as she fumbled with the box, eventually opening it to reveal a modest-sized Sapphire, surrounded by a cluster of small diamonds set on a white gold band.

“Oh Ron, this is perfect! It’s my birthstone! Did you pick it out yourself?”

“Yep!” He looked pleased with himself as he took the box from her and carefully released the ring from its holder. He picked up her left hand, holding the small band near the tip of her ring finger. “So are you going to bloody answer me, Hermione, because the suspense is killing me!”

Hermione tutted. “Trust you to swear during a proposal.” She laughed at the warning look he gave her. “Yes, a million times yes, Ron. There’s absolutely no doubt about it…”

As soon as the ring was firmly on her finger she threw herself at him, pushing him into the grass with a hard kiss. Things absolutely could not get better than this.


End file.
